


Singled Out

by CleopatraThe7th



Category: Glass (2019), Split (2016), Unbreakable (2000)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad language because Jade, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dr. Staple is basically evil, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Past Abuse, Post-High School, Split never happened, Unique Therapy Techniques, Violence, Warnings and tags to be added as needed, We just want to be normal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2020-03-20 12:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 62,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18992776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CleopatraThe7th/pseuds/CleopatraThe7th
Summary: Casey Cooke is trying to enjoy her life after high school; the highlight of her week is giving tours to Hedwig and Dr. Fletcher. When she learns about everyone else in Hedwig's head, she tries to understand, and accepts them. She learns that Barry and Dennis want to give Kevin a shot at a normal life, so they seek help from Dr. Staple, with surprising results.





	1. Not Who I Thought He Was

**Author's Note:**

> None of these characters are mine, and, if I quote any music or movies, I don't own that either.

Chapter 1: Not Who I Thought He Was

 

“Hey, Cooke! Your  _boyfriend_  is here to see you!”

 

Casey’s head jerked up as the voice, which was sing-songy and full of amusement, reached her over the gentle babble of the customers milling around in front of her. Her eyes found her coworker, Marcia, who was smirking at her from near the lobster tank. Marcia raised her eyebrows and tipped her head towards the hallway, where two people that Casey had become familiar with her slowly making their way through the crowd.

 

It had taken years of patience and strength for Casey to get to where she was now. Sometimes she hardly recognized herself; where once she had been sullen and withdrawn, the troublemaker in any class without friends, she had now managed to blossom. High school was done, she was free of the shadows that had previously strangled her growth, and she was reveling in it. She had a job that she enjoyed at the Adventure Aquarium, and she’d become good with people. People seemed to  _like_  her, and any tours that she led always had people chuckling and smiling.

 

Of course, she still wore layers, like the long sleeved black shirt that was under her bright blue official aquarium polo, and chose to wear full length khaki pants rather than the shorts that Marcia always wore. Marcia could bare her long, olive legs all that she wanted; Casey was still happier with less exposed. People didn’t need to see her scars or wonder at her past.

 

You can grow and bloom, reaching to the sky and the sun, but the soil that you stretched away from will never let you truly fly. Casey had found this to be true, but she was determined to grow as high and as far from her past as she could. She tried to see the beauty in the world.

 

So, she worked at the aquarium in Philadelphia. She hoped to leave the city some day, but now that her uncle was out of the picture, she was set on exploring and enjoying the things she’d never experienced before.

 

Her uncle…

 

Casey gave herself a mental shake. She wasn’t going to think about him. Instead, she took a few steps through the throng of people struggling to see the giant blue lobsters to join Marcia. Her visitors were taking their time walking, absorbing the sights, and hadn’t managed to spot her yet. It was a crowded Saturday, and the room was teeming with adults and children.

 

Marcia was smirking at her. “So, what, he comes like… every weekend, just to get a special tour from you?”

 

Casey rolled her eyes at her. “Be nice. He’s sweet, and I don’t mind. Passes the time. I’d rather give him a tour than a group of screaming kids.”

 

“Or a group of greasy teens who just want to ogle.” Marcia supplied, wrinkling her nose at the memory of a group she’d shown around the tanks last week. “Ugh, all they did was make stupid jokes. ‘I’d dive in her ocean.’ Like, dude, not funny.”

 

Her two visitors had spotted her, and the man was waiving frantically, jumping up and down a bit to get Casey’s attention. The white haired lady with him was smiling warmly at her.

 

“See you in a bit!” Casey said to Marcia, then she made her way over to the pair before the man completely lost it.

 

“CASEY!” The man roared when she got near.

 

“Hi, Hedwig, Dr. Fletcher! It’s so nice to see you both today!” Casey smiled warmly at them.

 

Hedwig was a grown man on the outside, and a nine year old boy on the inside. Casey thought that he was probably an average height, but he rarely stood still long enough for her to evaluate. He preferred to wear track suits (today’s was yellow and blue; bright and happy colors that matched his personality). His bright blue eyes shone with joy at seeing her, and she resisted the urge to ruffle his close cropped hair. It was hard not to smile at the overgrown child when he fixed you in one of the rays of his sunshine.

 

With him, as always, was his escort, Dr. Fletcher. She was an older woman, always dressed sensibly. She had eyes that twinkled at Hedwig and Casey benevolently, and she seemed to genuinely enjoy taking the boy out. Casey had never heard her raise her voice to Hedwig, and he listened to her, clearly on his best behavior.

 

They had started coming to the aquarium regularly about two months prior; the doctor had requested a tour guide, and Casey happened to be the closest available employee, so she had gotten the job of introducing the pair to the marine life. Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig came back every weekend after, and usually requested Casey, content to wait and look at the glimmering tanks until she was free. Casey’s boss had reminded her that if she ever felt uncomfortable, she was to tell him immediately, but Casey didn’t mind. Hedwig was so carefree in a way that Casey had never managed to be, and Dr. Fletcher was warm. Casey genuinely enjoyed the time she spent with them every week, even if it was repetitive.

 

“How are you, Casey? Do you have the time to take us around?” Dr. Fletcher asked smoothly, eyes bouncing around the crowded room.

 

“For you guys? Of course I have the time, although I don’t think you really need me at this point… Hedwig knows more about this aquarium than I do!” Casey replied, smiling at Hedwig.

 

“Nuh-uh!” Hedwig said, blushing and grinning at once. “C’mon, let’s go!” He was practically vibrating on the spot, excited to go.

 

Casey sent a backwards glance and a small wave over her shoulder to Marcia, who was still watching from her spot against the wall. Marcia wiggled her eyebrows and raised a hand in response.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The next hour progressed pleasantly, with Casey leading Hedwig and Dr. Fletcher around, offering tidbits about the different aquatic sites (“The clownfish can live with the anemones because they are coated in a protective slime-like substance that keeps them from being stung.”) and answering the myriad of questions that Hedwig always had for her. His lisp ringing in the constant questions, Casey couldn’t help but smile fondly as she answered them, amused at how someone who looked so adult could be so utterly a child.

 

“Why does that turtle have such a long neck?”

 

“It’s the snake neck turtle, Hedwig.”

 

“Why is that called a ‘Milk Frog’?”

 

“Because it secretes white stuff out of its body when it’s threatened, and that stuff looks like milk. It’s really poisonous.”

 

“What does the kookaburra eat?”

“All the gumdrops he can see.” (At this, Dr. Fletcher had chuckled, hiding her smile behind a hand)

 

They stopped and looked at the penguins. Hedwig had stepped forward and cupped his face with his hands, pressed up to the glass, but Dr. Fletcher had pulled him back, insisting that he could see fine from where he was, and that any marks he left would have to be cleaned up by Casey or her friends at the aquarium. He had apologized sheepishly to Casey before turning his bright attention back to the awkward birds.

 

“It kinda stinks over here, doesn’t it, Casey?” Hedwig wrinkled his nose dramatically. “Mr. Dennis doesn’t like all that penguin stuff all over the place. Look, they pooped on the rocks, gross!”

 

Dr. Fletcher tensed, which momentarily threw Casey. The doctor was always very laid back, but the mention of mister whoever seemed to catch her off guard. “This is our afternoon at the aquarium, Hedwig. No need for Dennis to be a concern.” she firmly told her ward.

 

Hedwig pouted at her for a minute. “But it’s true. Mr. Dennis wouldn’t let it look like that in there. He’s big an’ strong an’ keeps everything really clean so it’s better.” He looked back out the glass, a small frown starting to set on his lips.

 

“Well, you can tell Mr. Dennis that we are doing the best we can, but the birds are gonna do what the birds are gonna do, m’kay?” Casey interjected, not sure about the stormy look that had started to blow over Hedwig’s normally jubilant features. “If he has a problem with that, he can come talk to me.”

 

Turning to her incredulously, Hedwig exclaimed, “No waaay! Mr. Dennis can’t come visit you. Dr. Fletcher says that he has to stay in his chair when I’m at the aquarium cuz this is  _my_  time, and you’re  _my_ friend.”

 

Casey blinked. “ ‘Stay in his chair’?” she repeated, confused, but still smiling at him. Hedwig was always coming up with something fun to say, but this was different. He never talked about the other people in his life, preferring instead to lose himself in the aquarium and all of his adventures therein.

 

Dr. Fletcher stepped forward and gently put a hand on Hedwig’s upper arm. “Never mind about Mr. Dennis, Hedwig. That’s enough about him. Don’t you want to see the sharks before we go? Time is getting short.”

 

Hedwig looked at the older woman for a moment before he put a hand to his temple, wincing as if he’d been struck by a sudden headache. He opened his eyes, and Dr. Fletcher looked at him, pleasant but firm, her eyes locked on his. “Dennis knows that he needs to stay in his chair.”

 

Hedwig inclined his head in a small nod, and for a moment his body had almost seemed to grow bigger, more adult, stronger. But it must have been Casey’s imagination, because when he scampered over to her, grinning his silly grin, bouncing and requesting to see the sharks, he was the same Hedwig that she had become familiar with. The cloud that had slid in front of his sunlight seemed to have passed; everything was back to normal.

 

The younger woman sent a confused glance to the older one, but it either went unnoticed or was deftly ignored. Whatever had happened was going to be filed to the past.

 

Casey continued with the tour, falling back into their routine with ease.

 

~*~*~*~

 

After work, Marcia invited Casey to join her and Claire, an old classmate, at a local café. Claire and Marcia had been best friends in high school, and Claire was home from college for the summer. Neither girl had really noticed Casey when they were in classes together, but they had never been unkind to her as some of the others had been.

 

When Casey began her job at Adventure Aquarium, she had been nervous but determined. She was not going to shy away from people anymore – that part of her life was over. She had her own place, and now she had her own job, where she could be someone that other people smiled at and listened to. Marcia had trained her, and they had grown into friends.

 

Casey arrived after the pair of old friends due to her closing shift – Marcia had gotten out an hour earlier, and had already claimed a table. Casey waved before getting in line to order.

 

“Hey, Casey… is that your boyfriend? Over by then window?” Marcia said in a low voice, having quietly joined her in line.

 

Following her eyes, Casey saw him, and her brow furrowed.

 

He certainly  _looked_  like Hedwig.

 

This man was sitting at a high table near the window, wearing a stylish long-sleeved shirt, a bright blue infinity scarf, and dark jeans. His head was propped on one hand as he focused entirely on a sketch he was working on in a massive sketch pad. He was chewing on his lower lip as he focused solely on his work. The outside world appeared to be nonexistent to him.

 

Casey had never seen Hedwig dressed in anything but bright track suits, but the similarities couldn’t be denied. His face, his hair, his bright blue eyes; all were the same. She glanced around the café, hoping to catch sight of Dr. Fletcher. Maybe they were here for a dinner, or had something else to attend following the aquarium trip.

 

“You know, when he’s not being a spaz, he’s kinda cute…” Marcia continued, and Casey’s attention jerked back to her. “What? It’s true!” Marcia said defensively, bringing her hands up as if to shield herself from Casey’s glare.

 

After putting her order in and giving her name to be called, Casey turned to Marcia. “I’m going to ask. It’ll kill me if I don’t. Maybe he’s a relative or something?”

 

“Maybe he has a brother?” Marcia offered.

 

Casey shrugged. “He never talks about family. I think Dr. Fletcher doesn’t want him to when he’s out at the aquarium, like that’s special sensory time or something.”

 

“Okay, well, be careful. We’re right over there, so wave if you need us.”

 

Nodding, Casey turned from her friend and approached the familiar looking man. He was so absorbed in his sketching that she was standing next to his table before he looked up at her.

 

“Hi, doll, do you need this table?” He asked, jumping a little as he noticed her. The voice was right, but the speech was wrong. The endearing lisp was gone, replaced by a soft Philly accent, lilting with warmth and friendliness.

 

Casey faltered for a second before answering. “N-no, I… I actually just thought I knew you.”

 

The man seemed to grow cautious, looking closer at her, big blue eyes sweeping over her face. There was a slight widening of his eyes, like he recognized her, but he seemed to brush it away, choosing instead to smile at her disarmingly.

 

It had been there, though. That momentary recognition. Casey felt her stomach clench. “…Hedwig?”

 

He was too slow to respond. There was a pause, and Casey could see him debating what to say. He saw her watching him, and sighed in a defeated sort of way. “Casey.” He stated, not a question.

 

“Please, tell me you’re his like… Identical twin brother, or something. Please.” Casey looked at him, starting to feel sick, with tendrils of anger creeping into her.

 

“Not exactly, Babygirl.” He sighed and stretched luxuriously. “Dr. Fletcher is going to be ticked.”

 

“So what are you, an actor? Acting like someone... someone who isn’t all there?” She was more than just a little mad now, thinking of the time that she had spent with this casual person, thinking she knew him. “Do you get your rocks off on getting special treatment?”

 

His face had fallen into a hurt expression, large blue eyes wounded. “No, of course not, it’s not like that. Hedwig really enjoys his time at the aquarium with you and the doctor.”

 

“Right. And then you change into your café clothes and, what, take notes on how to sell mental illness?” Casey fought to keep her voice low, not wanting to draw attention from the other customers. She couldn’t believe that she’d been fooled. She had always prided herself on being able to see people’s true intentions, after watching her uncle charm everyone while doing unspeakable things to her.

 

How had she missed it? He’d been  _so_ convincing.

 

“Oh no, please don’t be mad. I can explain… but it would be better coming from Dr. Fletcher. It must be a shock to see me like this, but really…” He bit his lip, looking deeply unhappy. “I’m Barry, honey. We can explain. Please don’t hate me; Hedwig really looks forward to seeing you. You’ve been so kind.”

 

“I can’t believe this.” Casey forced herself to take a breath. “You said your name is ‘Barry’ now? What happened to ‘Hedwig’? Got any other names you want to throw out there?”

 

The corner of his mouth twitched at some personal joke, but he caught control of himself. “Hedwig’s in his chair.”

 

_Dr. Fletcher says he has to stay in his chair._

“What even  _is_  that?” she asked, growing exasperated.

 

Barry opened his mouth to respond, but the barista shouted “COFFEE FOR CASEY, UP!”

 

Casey looked at him, thoroughly disgusted. “Don’t bother. You know, there are people who really have problems out there. Pretending like you did, it’s sick, taking advantage of kindness.”

 

She shot him one last glare, and then she turned to get her coffee. Barry sat, looking dejected, sketch forgotten. He appeared to want to say something, but Casey didn’t want to hear it. Her ears seemed to be pounding with angry blood, and she knew her color was high as she approached Claire and Marcia.

 

“Well? What happened?” Marcia asked, looking alarmed.

 

“Nothing. He’s not who I thought he was.” Casey forced a smile to her lips as she sat with her back to Barry, or Hedwig, or whatever his name really was. She wasn’t going to give him any more attention. “Claire, how’s college?”

 

The conversation was awkward at first, but, when it became clear that Casey wasn’t going to discuss the Barry issue any further, it began to flow more easily. When the girls stood to leave, Casey shot a glance to the high table near the window, but it was empty, abandoned by Barry.


	2. The Explanation

Chapter 2: The Explanation

 

Casey was wiping down the tank that contained the Lined Seahorses, trying to keep her mind off of Hedwig (Barry?). She had tried to dismiss the whole situation, but it kept creeping back into her thoughts whenever her guard had fallen.

 

It felt like she had been betrayed, and wasn’t that what had happened? She’d been betrayed. She’d taken the time and the energy to make Hedwig comfortable at the aquarium, and had even stood up for him when coworkers had snickered at the adult acting like a child. Casey had been so protective that Marcia had started jokingly calling Hedwig “Casey’s Boyfriend”. Then Casey had seen Barry, and she felt foolish.

 

It didn’t seem fair that trying to be a nicer and happier person had just ended up getting her hurt.

 

Claire and Marcia kept inviting Casey out; Marcia had clearly filled Claire in on what she knew (not much), and had mentioned that Casey was acting a little off at work. Not unfriendly, but distant. The weekdays had been slow, but Casey had taken to volunteering to do the one-person jobs around the aquarium rather than trying to pair off with Marcia as she normally would have.

 

“I’m fine; really, I just want to do my own thing for a little.” Casey had told her friend when Marcia had asked what was up. Casey had forced a big smile to show how fine she was, and Marcia had relented.

 

“Okay, but, like, you know that you can come over or to dinner with us or whatever whenever you want. And you totally should come to dinner, by the way.” Marcia’s lips had pursed, and Casey had nodded before grabbing a bucket of cleaning materials and heading towards the seahorses.

 

So, here was Casey, trying not to think about how jubilant and how _real_ Hedwig had seemed, just to be an act. She wondered if Dr. Fletcher was just another actress, or if she had been a leader in the bizarre scam. Had Casey’s boss or anyone at the ticketing booth asked to see any credentials? Probably not, but maybe that’s something they should start checking…

 

“Casey?” a warm, female voice came from behind her.

 

Casey turned and was surprised to find Dr. Fletcher standing a few feet back, smiling at her, though her smile seemed a little sad. Casey frowned at her. “Didn’t feel like bringing Hedwig today? Or should I say… _Barry_?”

 

Dr. Fletcher nodded her head as if accepting the less than warm greeting. “Barry told me that he met you, and that the conversation had been… less than ideal.”

 

The younger woman said nothing, just stood and waited politely for whatever excuse the “doctor” was going to make for their actions. She was still, a blank slate, betraying nothing.

 

“After my chat with him, I thought that I should perhaps come to see you. You have been important to all of us, and we hate the idea that things have been damaged.” The doctor continued, smiling softly and fixing Casey with her intelligent eyes. She didn’t approach Casey, preferring instead to let the girl make the first move, hoping it would be across the gap between them, rather than widening it.

 

Casey resisted the urge to roll her eyes; this wasn’t the time for any outdated teenage sass, and she wasn’t that person anymore. She paused, considering her words, then asked, “Why am I important? I’m an aquarium worker who got duped in some sort of a scam.”

 

Sighing, looking mildly disappointed, Dr. Fletcher replied, “Ah, but you _are_ important. You were the first outside person that has been consistently able to show Hedwig kindness and acceptance. It’s been very important to see that someone, some normal person in a sea of strangers, could be kind. He’s been making excellent progress.”

 

“I don’t understand… ‘Progress’? What are you researching?”

 

Clasping her hands together in front of her bosom, extending a finger on each hand to tap her lips, Dr. Fletcher thought for a moment. “Why don’t you come to my office. We’re in agreement, Hedwig, Barry, the others, and I – we would like to give you an explanation.” The older woman dropped her hands, reached into her pocketbook, and withdrew a business card.

 

She extended it to Casey, across the space between them.

 

Neither woman moved.

 

Casey looked at the card in the doctor’s hand. A part of her yearned for the explanation, but the rest of her had been raised by her uncle. It was hard to forgive and to put yourself back out there once you’d been hurt. She didn’t want to open herself up for repeated blows; she had escaped that life.

 

“Please, Casey. Come for a cup of tea, and to hear Hedwig’s story. Then you can make up your mind on whether we are evil swindlers or not.”

 

“Who’s to say that I haven’t made up my mind already?” Casey retorted, feeling the temptation to take the card threaten to overwhelm her.

 

Dr. Fletcher’s eyes twinkled. “Well, you’ve let me talk this long. Were I decided to be completely a monster, I don’t think you’d have let me have the time of day.”

 

Taking a step forward, Casey accepted the business card. “Dr. Karen Fletcher” was printed in neat gold leaf at the top, over an address not too far away, with office hours and a phone number listed. It looked real enough, but, Casey reminded herself, it wasn’t particularly hard to get business cards printed up.

 

“I get out at five; is that too late? I see your hours end at four-thirty…”

 

Smiling, Dr. Fletcher told her that would be just fine. “This is a special case; I’m willing to make an exception. We will see you later.” She turned to leave, but turned back once more. “And Casey?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thank you, from all of us.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

A few hours later, after her shift had ended, Casey found herself standing before a handsome wooden door, in an apartment building on the richer side of town. Her fist was raised, ready to knock, but she hesitated. Did she really plan to go through with this?

 

Casey searched her heart, found that she did, and brought her fist down on the door in a series of staccato knocks.

 

After a beat, the handle turned, and the door opened to reveal Dr. Fletcher. The office behind her was more spacious than Casey had expected, and was warm and inviting. It appeared to double as the doctor’s apartment, but the personal touch blended with the business in a way that it was hard to tell where one began and the next started.

 

“Casey, thank you for coming. Please, come in.” Dr. Fletcher hummed to Casey, stepping aside and gesturing with a sweeping motion towards a set of aesthetically pleasing beige plush chairs positioned near the window.

 

Seated in one of the chairs was the man that she had only known as Hedwig until recently, dressed in what Casey thought of as his “Barry” clothes. He once more had the gigantic sketchbook, but had apparently set it aside when Casey had knocked. Today he wore a grey shirt with a snood collar, and complimentary black slacks. There was an olive green beanie lying on top of a worn leather messenger bag. Upon seeing Casey, the man rose nervously, straightening his pants and appearing not to know what to do with his hands.

 

He settled on cramming them into his pockets, and flashed Casey a warm smile.

 

 Casey glanced back at the doctor, who bustled in after her. “Tea? Coffee? Water?”

 

“No, thank you.”

 

“Alright. Pull up a chair, dear, let’s get started.” Dr. Fletcher said, selecting a seat for herself. The man lowered himself back into the chair he had been perched in, crossing his legs as he sat.

 

“I think I’m good, thanks.” Casey was firm but not rude. She wasn’t going to sit until she was sure that it was worth staying for a bit.

 

“Doll, you’re in for a bit of a story. You might as well sit.” Barry patted the arm of the chair next to him, his brilliant blue eyes finding her wary brown ones.

 

“Barry, if she wants to stand, she will. The point of her being here is so that she can draw her own conclusions; let’s allow her some modicum of comfort of her own choosing.” Dr. Fletcher scolded him gently, also watching Casey’s carefully blank face.

 

 Barry nodded and adjusted his body in the seat. He looked like he was feigning comfort – his body language tried to project that he was casually sitting, but tension rolled off of him in waves.

 

Dr. Fletcher cleared her throat lightly, and began. “Casey, this is Barry. He and Hedwig share a body with twenty-one other personalities. They are each unique, capable of having their own memories and experiences. When you met Hedwig, you were truly meeting only Hedwig, though he was happy to tell the others about you… now, we have Barry here, though he has admitted that he’s sharing the light so that the others can see what he is seeing and hear what he is hearing.”

 

Casey’s brow furrowed. “How can that be? And… and what is the light?”

 

“I believe, and have been trying to show my colleagues, that Barry and everyone in there with him are an example of another step in human evolution. We know so little about the brain; I believe that people with Barry’s particular affliction, Dissociative Identity Disorder, have tapped into a part of the brain that the rest of us haven’t. There are many cases of DID.” She paused to take a sip of water from the glass next to her before continuing. “There have been cases of one identity being blind, while another is not. Barry here, for example, is not diabetic, but another personality, Jade, is.”

 

Eyes sliding back to Barry, Casey asked, “…and the light?”

 

Dr. Fletcher nodded to Barry, who leaned forward in his chair to respond. “The way it is for us, we are all sitting in a room, in chairs, around a light bulb. When one of us reaches for it and holds it, that person is in charge.”

 

_Mr. Dennis has to stay in his chair._

“So, Mr. Dennis… is that another one of… you?”

 

Barry’s head jerked up in surprise at hearing the name. “You’ve met Dennis?” he asked, before his face went blank for a moment, one hand rising to his temple. “Oh, of course Hedwig would mention him. Kid basically worships him.”

 

“Barry, be nice. You’re all working together for Kevin, and that includes Dennis.” Dr. Fletcher tutted in a voice full of warning. Casey noticed that the other woman spoke to Barry differently than she had to Hedwig; she was speaking to an adult, not a child.

 

“Kevin?” Casey asked.

 

The man in the chair looked down at his knees for a moment, and then looked back at Casey, an expression of sadness coating his features. He was so expressive without words that Casey’s heart felt like it was breaking a little with the weight of his sorrow. “He won’t wake up.” Barry whispered, and Casey was startled to see tears in his eyes.

 

Dr. Fletcher placed one of her small, wrinkled hands over his large, muscular ones. He took it gratefully.

 

“Kevin was the first personality in their body; because of the trauma that he faced at the hands of his abuser, his psyche fractured, splitting into everyone else. The rest of his personalities work together to keep him safe, because that was their purpose, but Kevin has had a lot of difficulty overcoming his past. He hasn’t taken the light in years, preferring instead to ‘sleep’ in their mind.” The woman continued, still holding Barry’s hand but turning her attention once more to Casey.

 

“I-I’m sorry, about Kevin.” Casey whispered, her brain turning to all of the times that she had shut her mind off while her uncle had done whatever he wanted to her. She would venture outside of herself, staring at a crack in the ceiling or out a window, willing herself to go there and leave her hurting body behind. She couldn’t imagine telling people about all of the mornings, afternoons, and nights that she had endured, a piece of her shutting down each time; she especially couldn’t imagine telling some tour guide that she barely knew about her secret pains. “Why do you care if I believe you? Why tell me?”

 

Turning his slightly red rimmed eyes to her face, Barry offered her a watery smile. “We’re trying to see if people will believe us. So many people don’t think that we exist, and that’s just… just the worst. Dr. Fletcher had this idea that we should start trying to meet new people, and see how we can interact with them.”

 

“But why me?” Casey asked.

 

“Because Hedwig likes you. He’s a good kid, but everyone treats him like he’s a total weirdo, because he’s a kid in an adult’s body. You’re nice to him, and you never made him feel like anything less than human. It means a lot to him… to all of us.” Barry straightened up in his seat, releasing Dr. Fletcher’s hand. “I didn’t mean to mess up his time out by running into you, hon. The others were pretty pissed at me.”

 

“My thought was, if we could take whoever had the light out into the world, not just hiding away in a job and avoiding the world, the world would be less intimidating. Perhaps Kevin will be able to come out for extended periods of time if he can be shown that the world isn’t as cruel as he thought.” Dr. Fletcher added.

 

Casey could feel her gut loosening. She had come here expecting some explanation involving social experiments and the folly of man, but had instead heard this incredible tale. “I _want_ to believe you. It sucked to think that you were playing me, or the system, or something… but how can I believe you?”

 

Dr. Fletcher turned to Barry. “Barry, perhaps you can pass the light around a little?”

 

Barry nodded, wiped his eyes, and took a deep breath.

 

Suddenly, he slouched back in the chair, fixing Casey with a rueful smirk. “I fucking _hate_ being the only one who needs those cunt-licking shots. Hi girl, I’m Jade. De-fucking-lightful to meet ya.” Jade twiddled a few fingers at Casey, who was speechless, then proceeded to examine her finger nails. “Hey, Doc, when do I get a spin at the whole kumbaya shit show?”

 

Jade straightened, perched herself at the edge of her chair, crossed her legs at the ankle, and placed her hands primly in her lap. The voice that came out of her mouth was soft and respectful. “Really, I don’t know why she feels that language is appropriate. Hello, little duck, my name is Patricia. It’s a pleasure, really.” Patricia extended a hand to Casey, who automatically took it. Instead of shaking it, Patricia held Casey’s hand lightly in her own. “We are extraordinary, and the things we can be capable of, hmm.”

 

The hand holding Casey’s shifted; it went from a light, gentle touch to a firm one, emanating strength, before her hand was released abruptly. The man sitting before her uncrossed his legs, then crossed his arms and squared his shoulders. His gaze held hers, and she was startled to see that the blue eyes now seemed to be full of steel. He raised an eyebrow, and a slight frown touched the corners of his mouth.

 

“Uhm… hi?” Casey breathed to him, lost in the amount of power emanating from the man’s body. She had seen him before, she realized; the last time Hedwig had come to the aquarium.

 

“Hello.” He responded in a deep and precise voice. “I’m Dennis. I believe that I’m supposed to talk to you about your penguins?” he asked, a deep Philadelphia accent coating each word.

 

“Oh… yeah…” she was at a loss for words. She felt that he might be joking, but there was nothing in his language, body or spoken, to support this.

 

Dennis’s eyes flicked over her, and Casey found herself grateful for the layers that she wore. There was something predatory about him, though he was sitting perfectly still. She wasn’t afraid of him, she realized, just… cautious. He bombarded her senses, tying her tongue, making her feel like the awkward teen she had been.

 

Casey tried to see the others that she had just met, looking for traces of them in his face, but his eyes gave away none of Hedwig’s jubilance; his mouth remained set, with none of Barry’s charming smile gracing it; his body held none of the sullen boredom that Jade had borne; his hands were strong and blunt, so different from the delicate one that Patricia had extended.

 

“I don’t enjoy putting on this pony show.” He stated evenly, every word carefully selected, gazing evenly at her as she studied his face. Casey blushed.

 

“Dennis, this is not show, or an act; this is to help Casey understand.” Dr. Fletcher said in a cautious tone. She also seemed aware of the power that radiated from him, but had not been befuddled by it as Casey had.

 

“Thank you, f-for coming to… uhm… meet me..?” Casey stammered, trying to gather herself, cursing herself for sounding so childish.

 

He dipped his head in a small nod, and his eyes locked onto the bowl of chocolates beside him. He carefully extended a finger and pushed the bowl into the direct center of the table, exhaling a small sigh once the task was complete. His cold blue eyes rose back to hers again before his head tipped back slightly, and warmth flooded into his body, into his eyes, into his aura.

 

“Hey, doll, sorry about that. Dennis can be a… little much.” Barry said, blushing slightly as he relaxed the body that had been so rigid a moment before. He glanced down, spotted the chocolate bowl, and tugged it back towards the edge before selecting a piece and stuffing it in his mouth.

 

Casey stood staring openly at the man in the chair until he shifted, a playful smile touching his lips. “Something on my face, babygirl?”

 

Shutting her mouth, Casey sat down in the empty chair next to him. “Wow.” That was all that she could manage. Her mind was reeling. What would it be like to never be alone, to have to be so many people at once?

 

“Casey, a glass of water perhaps?” Dr. Fletcher offered kindly. She rose when Casey nodded, and returned a moment later with a glass of cool water.

 

Sipping and trying to collect herself, Casey tore her eyes away from Barry. She looked around at the art in the doctor’s office, and her eyes fell on a piece that had apparently been done by a child; a humanoid shape with sharp teeth and arms upraised.

 

Barry followed her eyes, and then cleared his throat. “If you can handle it, there’s someone else who’d like to say hello, Casey.”

 

She nodded, and he burst into a wide grin that she knew very well. Hedwig scooted to the edge of his seat, somehow seeming smaller than the previous alters. He seemed to be vibrating with excitement as he spoke. “Hiya, Casey! You met some of the others! Whaddya think? Can I come back to the aquarium soon?”

 

Laughing, Casey smiled fondly at the boy. “Hi, Hedwig. I… I think you guys are incredible.”

 

Hedwig beamed at her, and Dr. Fletcher clapped her hands together in an expression of relief.

 

 

 

 


	3. Dinner For Two

Chapter 3: Dinner For Two

 

“Oh my god, what are _they_ doing here?” Marcia asked incredulously.

 

Casey sent her a stern look. It had been a few days since her visit to Dr. Fletcher’s office, and now Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig were entering the aquarium for their usual excursion. In truth, she was excited to see them, and a little nervous – she knew so much more now.

 

“No, its fine, I’ve got it figured out, really.” Casey moved forward, preparing to greet her visitors, but Marcia caught her arm.

 

“Really?” Marcia’s dark eyes were full of concern, searching Casey’s face.

 

“Really. I’ll… fill you in when I can.” She gently pulled her arm away from her friend, gave her a small smile, and turned to Dr. Fletcher and Hedwig.

 

Ignoring the feel of Marcia’s eyes boring into her back, Casey smiled widely and said, “Hey, guys! Nice to see you. Where do you want to start, Hedwig?”

 

“SHARKS!” He yelled, excited as always.

 

Dr. Fletcher paused next to Casey for a moment, allowing Hedwig to get a little further ahead of the two women. “Casey, I wanted to thank you. For listening, for believing, for welcoming us back, and for your discretion. Kevin’s case is a special one, and it’s unusual for someone D.I.D. to stay out of an institution.”

 

Eyes widening, Casey repeated, “ ‘An Institution’? Are… are they dangerous?”

 

Dr. Fletcher shook her head. “No, not that I’ve seen, although Dennis… Dennis was the first alter to appear, and he faced the brunt of the trauma to protect Kevin. It made him a little… rough around the edges. But I wouldn’t call him _dangerous._ ” She sighed. “No, usually people with D.I.D. are either boxed up to be studied like an animal, or can’t function in public, cycling through their alters and never being able to hold down a job or an apartment. Kevin functions very well.”

 

Hedwig was grinning at the sharks, occasionally making bizarre faces at the toothy fish, showing as many of his own teeth as he could. When Casey and Dr. Fletcher joined him, he turned to smile at them, his sunlight beaming at both of them.

 

The doctor drifted near a display of shark evolution, and Hedwig turned to Casey. She felt his eyes on her, and turned to look at him, only to see that he wasn’t Hedwig anymore. The playful sparkle in his eyes and the warmth to his smile made betrayed him as Barry.

 

“Hey, doll, what do you say to dinner later? Get to know someone other than Hedwig.” His smile was full of charm, and Casey wondered how often people were able to decline a request made from behind that grin.

 

“You mean, with you and Dr. Fletcher?” Casey kept her voice low, sending a glance at the doctor, who was still studying the display across the room.

 

Barry stepped closer to her – did Hedwig smell as good as he did? How had she never noticed that he smelled subtly of spicy aftershave? – and gave his head a small shake, mischievous blue eyes never leaving her brown ones. “Nah, just me and you. I thought it would be nice to not have you think of us as just a nine-year-old.”

 

“Well, I don’t think of you like that… anymore… I mean, not since…”

 

His smile expanded. “Babygirl, you’re the first ‘real’ person to hear about us, and not look at me like I have another head or something. C’mon, come to dinner and get to know me. I _promise_ that you’ll have fun.”

 

She took a breath to steady herself. Normally, Casey would’ve declined his offer. She had no interest in entertaining or being entertained by men, not after what she had been through. But, Barry seemed so sincere…

 

“Yeah, okay. Dinner.” Casey was surprised to hear the words fall out of her mouth, but Barry’s eyebrows rose with delight and something in her midsection fluttered pleasantly.

 

“Excellent. The Good King Tavern, say… seven?”

 

Her eyebrows rose incredulously. “Will we be able to get a seat?”

 

“I’ll call ahead. The owner’s wife owes me one.” Seeing her confusion, Barry added, “I made her a dress for a little soirée they held a few months back.”

 

“Well… okay then. See you at seven.” Casey smiled nervously at him, trying not to think about how this was her first time agreeing to meet a man alone for dinner.

 

Barry winked at her, stepped back, and let Hedwig have the light. Hedwig blinked for a minute, looking a little confused, but brushed it off and went back to admiring the exhibit.

 

Dr. Fletcher rejoined them, and the trio continued their tour.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Casey stood before her mirror, gazing at her reflection. She tried to remember the last time that she had really looked at herself. She must have checked on her appearance before the interview at the aquarium, nearly a year prior. Had that been the last time?

 

Before her stood a tall brunette, finally losing the last remnants of childhood and curving into a woman. She had donned black slacks on her long legs, and a flowing silk top that hugged her in a way she wasn’t certain that she was entirely comfortable with. She’d bought the shirt on a whim, unable to put it back after feeling the cool smoothness of it drifting beneath her fingers at the store. It accentuated her generous curves, but was long enough to keep her scars a secret.

 

 _Honestly, it’s not like it’s a_ date _or anything; I’ve got nothing to be nervous about._ Casey thought to herself. Her eyes found flaws in the reflection that she forced herself to discard; she was certain that she looked acceptable. More acceptable than usual, considering they’d really only seen her in her aquarium attire.

 

She took a final moment to examine, make sure everything fit correctly, and then the young woman slipped on her sandals, snagged a purse, and departed.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Barry stood outside of the restaurant, early, but content to enjoy the warm weather and wait. He had changed out of Hedwig’s track suit, glad to be in something more stylish. The blazer he had pulled on over a black shirt was just enough to dress up the jeans he had pulled on. As always, he had his messenger bag containing his sketchbook, and he itched to pull it out and work on it.

 

His work was always getting interrupted by one of the other alters; he usually made use of his time in the light to try to get ahead on his designs. He sometimes was able to sell his ideas, and he was grateful that the owner’s wife had been a customer. Favors came in handy.

 

 _I don’t think that this is what Dr. Fletcher had in mind for us when she suggested that we interact with people._ Dennis said sternly, frowning from his chair.

 

Rolling his eyes, Barry chose not to respond. He was going to have some fun. It had been a while since they had been out with anyone besides Dr. Fletcher.

 

 _Mohammed Ali,_ Orwell began, ignoring the groans of the others in their chairs, _once said, “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school, but if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you haven’t learned anything.”_

_And?_ Jade countered.

 

Orwell deflated some in his chair, disappointed that another of his poignant quotes had been missed. _And… it’s good for Barry to foster relationships. This will help us to help Kevin._

_I don’t see how trying to get his dick wet will help Kevin._ Jade smirked.

 

“ _Not_ what tonight is supposed to be.” Barry murmured under his breath, hoping not to attract any attention. He checked his watch, saw that it was nearly seven, and his eyes began to sweep the sidewalks, looking for a familiar face.

 

There she was.  Casey looked nervous and radiant. Shy and lovely.

 

Barry held his breath for a moment in appreciation of the visage approaching before firming his grip on the light, blocking his evening from the others.

 

He waved, and her slightly pale face flushed as she smiled upon seeing him. “Shall we?” the man asked when she had caught up to him, offering her an arm. She let out a small laugh and took his arm.

 

As he led her inside, giving his name to the host (“Crumb, seven o’clock.”), Casey allowed herself to enjoy the casual comfort of the evening. She realized that this was the second time she had ever touched him, if you counted Patricia’s slight grasp on her hand in Dr. Fletcher’s office, and she was surprised by the amount of muscle she could feel under his blazer.

 

She snuck a glance at him while his attention was on the host, and realized that Marcia had been right; he really _was_ actually pretty cute when he wasn’t being… Hedwig.

 

“If I can just see the lady’s ID, I’m happy to leave the wine menu for you.” The host said, depositing them at a booth in a small alcove.

 

Casey blushed, rifled through her purse, and handed her ID over. The host inspected it closely and handed it back, apparently satisfied.

 

Barry breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. That saves me from having to be rude and ask if you’re old enough for a drink.” He winked at her.

 

Laughing again – when was the last time she had laughed so much? – Casey replied, “I can drink legally, thank you. Are they going to ask for you AARP discount card while we’re here?”

 

“Oh, sass, very nice. I’ll have you know that this is the early-thirty-something model that I’m driving today.” Barry retorted, grinning at her from across the table.

 

Grinning back, finding it impossible not to while in the glow of his attention, Casey found herself relaxing. He wasn’t being pushy or grabby, and she felt that she was in control of her situation. This was nothing like being around a boy from school… or her uncle.

 

She would be okay.

 

“So, I had this brilliant idea that we should go out tonight, hon. Get to know each other.” Barry shrugged out of his blazer and leaned across the table, the lit candle in the center making his eyes seem to dance with good humor.

 

“Yeah. I think… it’s a good idea. What do you want to know?” she kicked herself mentally for being awkward, but Barry just kept smiling at her.

 

He waggled an eyebrow at her in a suggestive way, but when he spoke, he simply asked, “How about… your last name? Or are you like Madonna?”

 

“Oh! Cooke. My name is Casey Cooke.”

 

Barry snorted. “Really? What are you, a super hero? Peter Parker, Clark Kent, Casey Cooke?”

 

Casey leaned forward across the table, a conspirator’s smile gracing her full lips. “Actually, don’t tell anyone, but I’m from Aquaman’s tribe. That’s why I’m at the aquarium… I spend my days discussing krill with the dolphins.”

 

“I don’t think Aquaman comes from a tribe. Maybe a pod? Like with whales?” Barry pursed his lips in thought for a moment. “So, Casey not-a-superhero Cooke, got any roommates, or d’ya still live at home?”

 

She shifted uncomfortably, and some of the smile fell from her face. “No, I don’t have anyone. To live with. I don’t have any roommates, I mean. I have my own house.”

 

He was dying to probe her further on the subject, but decided not to pursue it further. Her entire demeanor had changed - Casey was now focusing on her glass of water, taping the stem lightly with her long fingers, quietly avoiding his eyes. “Your turn!” he said, the enthusiasm coming naturally to him.

 

Looking startled, Casey brought her eyes back to his, and thought for a moment. “Do _you_ have any roomies?”

 

“Psh, you know the answer to that. I have twenty-two roommates.” He continued to smirk at her. “Bet you can’t guess where we work.”

 

A bottle of white wine arrived while Casey thought, and Barry poured a glass for himself, and offered to pour some for her. “Sure, I’ll have a glass. I actually don’t drink much, really.” She said.

 

Pouring, Barry countered, “Ah, so your plan is to get me drunk by having me finish the bottle myself, and take advantage of me?”

 

Casey’s face turned scarlet as she stammered out a response, but Barry relented, grinning mischievously at her once more. “Babygirl, you’ve about used up your quota of blushes for the evening, I swear. Relax, I’m just breaking the ice. This is my way. Now, since you’ve done such a terrible job at guessing, I’ll put your mind at ease: we work at the zoo.”

 

The conversation flowed with ease throughout the dinner; they compared the aquarium to the zoo, debated over which exhibits were better, and listed off things that they hadn’t gotten around to doing in the famous city. Barry had never seen the liberty bell, and Casey told him that she had secretly dreamed of running the Rocky stairs.

 

“Well, now we know what we’re doing next time… assuming you won’t run screaming in the opposite direction if I were to suggest that there is a next time?” Barry said, signing the receipt with a flourish. Casey had insisted that they split the bill, but he hadn’t had any of it, feigning insult at the thought.

 

She nodded, smiling at him. “I’d like that.”

 

They stood to leave, and Barry offered her his arm once more. She took it, grateful. She could feel the wine (they’d split the bottle just about evenly after all) making her face feel warm and her head light. There was a gentle flush to his face as well, so at least she wasn’t alone.

 

“How are you getting home?” He asked.

 

“I live nearby. I was just going to walk.”

 

Barry paused and looked at her, “Mind if I walk you home? A pure gentleman such as myself couldn’t stand the thought of sending you away unescorted.”

 

Casey giggled softly. “I can make it home fine – I made it here in one piece, didn’t I?”

 

“Right, but that was daylight. Haven’t you heard that the tigers come at night? Didn’t ‘Les Mis’ teach you anything?”

 

Rolling her eyes, the young woman replied, “I haven’t seen it, so I’ll have to take your word for it, but  sure, Mr. Gentleman, you may walk me to my door.”

 

Clasping his hands to his breast as if wounded, Barry exclaimed, “You _haven’t seen_ ‘Les Mis’? Oh, god, that’s crime. Add that to the list. We’ve got to watch that.”

 

She took his arm, leading him gently towards her home, feeling warm and happy. Had she ever had an evening like this, where she felt so content? She didn’t think so. He asked for her phone, and he programmed his number into it (“I put it under ‘Kevin’ to avoid any… confusion.”).

 

A comfortable silence enveloped the pair as they walked. Casey was lost in her thoughts of what a nice night it had been, and Barry seemed to be trying to look in every direction at once, looking at her neighborhood with approval. It was quiet, and small, with neat houses lining a nearly empty street.

 

“This is me.” She said at last, gesturing to a grey split-level house. When she started to let go of his arm, Barry placed a hand over hers, gently stopping her.

 

“Ahem, I believe that the deal was that I would escort you to your door, what with me being a gentleman and all.” One of his eyebrows rose playfully, and his eyes shone warmth at her.

 

She ducked her head in agreement, and led him down her cobblestone walkway, past the modest garden overflowing with pink and white Summer Phlox, and stopped at her door. He was smiling softly at her as she pulled her keys from her purse, unlocked her door, and turned back to him.

 

Barry stepped forward then, nearly closing the space between them. He leaned close to her, his face inches away, blue eyes bright as they held her brown eyes in their gaze. Casey’s heart seemed to have stopped, and she felt herself biting her lip unconsciously, leaning in slightly towards him. His cologne drifted lazily to her across the air. He was so close that she could feel the light puff of his breath with each exhale.

 

His mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk, not unkind, and he took one of her hands and shook it firmly, his face still just inches from hers, his eyes never leaving hers. “Thanks for the evening, Casey.” His voice was husky, barely above a whisper.

 

Then his hand released hers, and he stepped back, tipped her a wink, then shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking back the way they’d come.

 

Casey’s heart took a moment to restart. She realized that she was standing on her doorstep, frozen, staring at his retreating figure with her mouth slightly ajar, so she closed her mouth, and went inside, head spinning.

 

 

 

 


	4. The Best Laid Plans

Chapter 4: The Best Laid Plans

 

“But I _do_ have plans tonight, really, Marcia.” Casey repeated for what felt like the fiftieth time. “I’ll catch dinner with you and Claire another time.”

Marcia stood before her, one hand on her hip, another clutching a mop as if it were a spear. The pair of women were mopping the shark wing, and Marcia had a determined look on her face, her eyebrows set in a way that would allow no argument.

 

“Nuh-uh, Cooke, you’ve got some explaining to do. First, you were all… spacey… and now you’re practically whistling while you work. What happened? Is it that guy from the café?”

 

Casey sighed. There was no escaping this, she knew. “Fine, yeah, it actually is to do with him. I… went to dinner with him on Saturday. Tonight we’ve got more plans, okay?”

 

Her mouth opened in delighted shock, Marcia took a moment to respond. “Oh my god, really? _You_ went to dinner with _a guy_? And you didn’t tell me?! Oh my god. Tell me everything.”

 

She tried to fight the smile that was playing at her lips, but Casey couldn’t help but smile softly as she recounted the evening with Barry – she glossed over the part where he was actually also Hedwig, figuring it was too soon to try to tell Marcia about D.I.D. or all of the others. She just omitted when and where Barry had invited her out, referred to Barry as “Kevin” the whole time, and focused instead on telling her about the ease of the conversation, the twinkling in his eyes, and the handshake on her front step.

 

Marcia was shaking her head in disbelief. “He didn’t kiss you?”

 

“Nope. Just a very firm handshake.”

 

“Wow. That’s a new one on me… I can’t believe you sat on this for three days. What are you guys doing for a date tonight?”

 

“I don’t think it’s a date, but we’re going to the stairs from Rocky. Stop making faces at me!” Casey scolded Marcia, who had wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never seen them.”

 

“It’s not that – what do you mean, ‘not a date’? Definitely a date.” Marcia was examining Casey’s face, mopping forgotten. “Look at you! You’re so excited. _Definitely_ a date.”

 

Casey gave up trying to argue with her friend, and just smiled while she mopped. She didn’t think it was actually a date, but she found herself hoping that it was. Texts from Barry were hard to decipher; she was getting the feeling that he was a flirty person all of the time, so Casey wasn’t sure how to take them. Occasionally, one of the others would text, but largely it had been Barry.

 

As she was being interrogated by Marcia, her phone buzzed, and she snuck a glance at it.

 

<Still on for tonight? – B>

 

Her phone buzzed again quickly after she had sent her affirmative text, this time from Jade.

 

<WHO THE FUCK HASN’T SEEN LES MIS – J>

 

<Had to tell her. Couldn’t be the only one burdened with that knowledge – B>

 

<No ganging up on me! :( > Casey wrote back quickly. She’d already discovered that texting with a person who had D.I.D. was like being in a group chat.

 

“Ahem, earth to Casey. We were talking about your shiny new _actual_ boyfriend, remember?” Marcia sounded impatient.

 

“Really, that’s everything for now. Not much else to say.” Casey hoped the shrug that she had added to this statement was as nonchalant as she intended. It wasn’t hard for Casey to keep things from people – her uncle was a topic that she flatly refused to acknowledge if brought up – but she didn’t enjoy omitting new things from her friend.

 

The girls made plans for the following evening, and Marcia assured Casey that she and Claire would be expecting a full report on “Kevin”.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Barry and Casey stood at the top of a great flight of carved stairs, gasping for breath. He had insisted on racing her up the stairs, and her heart was thumping in her chest. Casey decided this was due to the race, and definitely not to the fact that he was bracing himself with one hand on her shoulder, doubled over and taking big gulps of air. His hand was big and warm on her shoulder, and she hoped that she didn’t look as close to a heart attack as she felt.

 

“Oh god, Case, I thought I was in some kind of shape.” Barry forced out between gasps.

 

She laughed weakly, trying to get her own breath under control. “I… thought that we’re… supposed to jump around now that… we’re at the top…” she managed to say.

 

He looked at her in horror. “You want me to _jump around_? Are you _trying_ to kill me?”

 

“Hey, _you’re_ the one who wanted to race up the stairs.” Casey replied, mustering the energy to look haughtily at him. “Well, I’ve done the Rocky Steps, and survived. What now?”

 

“Now I find a place to die in peace.” Barry retorted, straightening up. He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before releasing her. “Well, babygirl, the night is young, and so are we. Though maybe not as young as we thought… was Rocky a robot?” he mused.

 

Casey smiled at him. “We could quit our jobs and become professional boxers. Then we’d eat the stairs for breakfast.”

 

Barry returned her smile. “Nah, too sweaty. Plus Jade would get us disqualified… she’d almost certainly kick someone in the ‘nads.” He looked around. “You know, our place is just beyond the park; maybe a half hour walk. Jade’s dying to show you Les Mis. You could come watch it, get to know her?”

 

Casey bit her lip. “I like the idea of the walk… but coming over…”

 

“Oh, doll, I wouldn’t even be around, promise. You’d have girl time. I’m a gentleman, remember?” he asked her, smiling warmly, before quickly adding, “of course, you don’t have to. You can come over whenever you want, and it doesn’t have to be today.”

 

She thought for a moment, then offered her arm to him, smiling shyly up at him as he took it. “How about we walk, and I can make up my mind en route?”

 

He nodded. “Maybe you want to let someone know where you’re going? Make you feel better?”

 

Relief flooded her. He honestly seemed to understand her hesitation, thankfully without asking any questions. Barry’s eyes were on her, concerned, but he maintained his charming smile as Casey pulled out her phone and texted Marcia, displaying her phone for him to see as she typed.

 

<I think I’m going over to Kevin’s to watch a movie.>

 

<You survived the stairs?> came Marcia’s prompt response.

 

“I hope you don’t mind… I told her you’re Kevin for now, just to make it easier?” Casey said, slightly embarrassed.

 

“Not at all, sugar. We usually go by Kevin’s name. Tell her you’re heading to the zoo.”

 

Casey’s eyebrows shot up in question. “You live where you work?”

 

“Mhmm, it’s a nice arrangement that Dr. Fletcher helped us out with. I should warn you, our apartment is a little… eclectic.”

 

<He lives at the zoo? Have fun getting in touch with your wild side. Text me when you’re leaving. DETAILS.>

 

Casey blushed and put her phone away quickly, avoiding Barry’s smirk. He tightened his hold on her arm, and led her through the park. They chatted amiably as they walked, and soon Casey found herself being led into a part of the zoo that she had never been to. 

 

Barry led her past what appeared to be a holding area for some of the bigger animals. She stopped and stared at the pacing lion, which also stopped and regarded her with intelligent amber eyes. Barry came back to her and took her hand gently. “C’mon, hun, he can’t hurt you. Let’s go.”

 

Through another set of doors, and they were in a hallway that was lined with buzzing fluorescent lights and pipes. Another set of doors, and Casey’s heart was in her throat. She had fallen out of the conversation, and had slowed down, slipping her hand out of his. Her pulse racing, she glanced back the way they had come, biting her lip. Should she say something?

 

She found herself _very_ aware that she barely knew the man leading her, let alone the other people in his head, and they were _very_ alone down here. Casey wasn’t in the habit of putting herself into vulnerable situations; she’d learned not to make it easy for _anyone_ years ago, yet here she was, in an unknown location, multiple doors with locks between her and freedom.  Her heart was racing again, and she could swear she could feel her uncle’s hot breath on her neck, his meaty hands grabbing at her shoulders.

 

Standing there, eyes squeezed shut, pulse throbbing, she forced herself to try to swallow this panic. The day had been so fun, and here she was, retreating into herself. It was an effort to open her eyes and look at the man she had decided to trust.

 

Her guide had stopped walking, and concern flitted briefly over Barry’s features before he straightened and seemed to grow taller. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of black rimmed glasses, placing them on his face and regarding her with an eyebrow raised and an unreadable expression on his face.

 

“Dennis?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Casey wrapped her arms around herself, clutching her elbows and feeling her walls rising back into place, blocking out the world.

 

He regarded her impassively, but his eyes darted around her face and posture before he flicked a hand up in a motion that simply said “stay”. He walked to the next door, his posture stiff, and his steps even. Dennis pulled out his keys and slowly unlocked the door, with precise movements that had an exaggerated quality, as if he wanted her to see everything he was doing. Leaving the door unlocked, he walked back to where she stood, and held the loaded key ring out to her.

 

Casey looked at him in confusion.

 

Dennis sighed and ran a hand over his head. “The keys are, uh, numbered. The locks are numbered too. If you decide you wanna go, and don’t want us escorting you, you can let yourself out. Just… please leave the keys where we can find them.” When she didn’t move, Dennis continued, “You don’t have to stay. I thought you might like to have the keys. Or I can stay here, if you’d like to go now.”

 

_He wants me to have a way out_. Casey thought to herself, and was immensely grateful. She reached out for the keys, and her cool fingers brushed his warm ones as she took them. Dennis jerked his hand back as if it had been burned by her touch. “Thank you.” She said, voice still soft.

 

The keys were a heavy, comforting weight in her hand. She examined them and saw that they were all carefully numbered in precise hand writing. Her heartbeat was returning to normal, and now she could feel embarrassment flooding her. Her discomfort had been so obvious that Dennis had felt the need to emerge.

 

“We make people uncomfortable.” Dennis stated. His face remained a blank slate, as unreadable as the face of a pharaoh carved into an ancient Egyptian temple.

 

“No… I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be weird.” Casey stammered, feeling her cheeks flush. “I just realized that… that…” she trailed off, unsure of how to finish the statement without insulting her new friend.

 

“…that you’re alone with someone who shares his body with a crowd?” Dennis ran a hand over his head again, looking away from her. There was a note of misery under his even statement, but he continued. “We’re bein’ good. You don’t have to worry. But, if you aren’t comfortable, you can go. I understand.” His words washed over her like a balm; the calm voice chasing away the demons that had been clawing at her edges.

 

Casey mustered her strength and shook her head. “No, I want to stay. I just needed a moment Thanks for the keys. And for understanding.”

 

Dennis nodded at her, and stepped through the open doorway. He walked like a metronome, with each step landing like the beat of a drum. There was something comforting in his rigid control, and Casey felt herself relaxing further. This was the personality that Dr. Fletcher had described as “rough around the edges”? Casey couldn’t see roughness, just carefully controlled care.

 

He did not take her hand, or reach for her arm as Barry would’ve. She walked slightly behind him, allowing herself to be lead further into this stranger’s space.

 

A few more turns of the hallway later, Casey found herself looking bemusedly at a very lived-in living room. The microfiber couch that sat in front of the television looked squishy and comfortable, with a soft looking blanket tossed onto one corner. Some rumpled pillows had been squished at one side, giving the impression that someone had taken to laying down and watching TV from a horizontal position.

 

The walls were decorated with everything. There was a bookshelf overflowing with literature against a wall. It had books stacked in neat piles on top of the highest shelf when the individual shelves had filled up. There were framed sketches of breathtaking landscapes, and Casey spotted a few framed drawings that looked like they had been done by a child. It warmed her heart to think that the other alters would make Hedwig feel special by framing his scrawling works.

 

She could see an unremarkable kitchen through the doorway in the adjacent wall. Casey noted that the top of the refrigerator was covered in a wide variety of cereal boxes, lined up neatly atop it.

 

While she looked around, taking in the surroundings, Dennis’s jaw clenched and he walked over to the couch, folding the blanket curtly. He took a moment to rearrange the pillows, adding symmetry to the worn couch. Once done, he turned to her, arms crossed.

 

“It’s very neat here. I guess I was expecting it to be overflowing with each of you.” Casey noted, trying to break the silence.

 

Dennis ran a hand over his short hair again before replying. “It would be, if the others had their way.”

 

Casey smiled timidly at him, and he regarded her, his face held remaining carefully blank. She was aware that she was warming to him, and had been since he took the time to be sure that she was comfortable.

 

“I’ll show you the rest of the apartment, then Jade will take over.” He walked past her into the hallway once more. Pausing until he was sure that she was following again, he gestured to a door down the end of the hallway. “Bathroom.” They passed two more doors. “Utility closets. Extra storage.” They passed another door that was slightly ajar, and Casey caught a glimpse of a neatly made bed before Dennis pulled the door shut wordlessly.

 

They rounded a final corner and Dennis pulled a door open, stepping aside to let Casey enter.

 

The room was filled with clothes, hanging from racks. Casey was slightly surprised to see that there were dresses and skirts, the occasional boa, but, then again, some of Kevin’s personalities were female, she reasoned. This room was a barely controlled chaos, and a glance at Dennis revealed that his jaw was clenching slightly again. There was a desk in the corner, with a computer on it. At the far side was another door, with bolt locks on the outside.

 

“Emergency exit?” She asked, bobbing her head towards the door.

 

Dennis’s eyes flitted to the door before settling on a set of hangers that were jutting out, clothes hanging askew. His hands reached out to fix the offending garments as he replied, “No. Another room. We don’t do anything with it.”

 

“Ah.” Casey looked around, amazed at the difference in the clothes. Each rack held several names, and the attire clearly belonged to different people. “It’s pretty neat in here, too. Considering how different everyone’s style is, at least.”

 

He looked at her, seemed to be searching to see if she was mocking him. She smiled softly at the stern alter, and she could’ve sworn that she saw one of the corners of his mouth twitch towards something friendly. “Thanks. Now, Jade is going to want to change… Do you mind waiting in the living room?”

 

Casey nodded and turned, leaving him to his privacy. Dennis closed the door softly behind her and listened to her retreating steps.

 

“Jade, are you ready?” Dennis asked aloud, careful to keep his voice down.

 

“Bout fuckin time!” Jade exclaimed, grabbing for the light, but Barry snagged it first.

 

“Couldn’t just let me have a nice evening? Who invited you to take the light, _Dennis_?” Barry demanded, voice low and harsh. He was mad; he’d been having such a good time with Casey. He _liked_ spending time with her, and it had alarmed him how easily Dennis had elbowed him aside and kept him at bay. Sometimes he forgot how strong the other alter was.

 

“She was uncomfortable.” Dennis replied simply.

 

“She was fine!” Barry insisted.

 

“No, she wasn’t. She looked like she was having a panic attack.”

 

Patricia spoke up then. “I agree, Barry. The girl didn’t seem to be having fun anymore.”

 

There were murmurs of agreement in their head, and Barry stood agape. “What are you talking about? We were having fun on the stairs… the walk was nice… she was fine.”

 

“ _Was_ fine, you tit. Something freaked her out, and somehow _Mr. Clean_ over here was the one to calm her down. Figure that shit out.” Jade said. “Pissing contest over? Can I get changed now?”

 

“One sec – and _please_ don’t put on anything ridiculous. We’re trying not to scare her off, remember?” Barry collected himself for a moment before continuing. “So I missed that she got uncomfortable, sorry. But… why did you take the light, Dennis? Why not just tell me something was up?”

 

Dennis remained silent.

 

“Come on, you were chatty enough with Casey. Don’t try to shut up now.” Barry prodded the stern alter. He could feel the icy glare boring into him from the other man.

 

Running a hand over their head, Dennis relented. “If she left, I would be the one to take what she said. Or didn’t say. Kevin doesn’t need to be hurt by a girl leaving.”

 

“But… he’s asleep… he wouldn’t have known.”

 

“And you wouldn’t have been sad? You don’t think Kevin would feel it?”

 

Barry sighed, knowing that Dennis was right. He had done what he had been built to do – protect them. He handed the light to Jade, who took it eagerly and began sorting through her clothes.

 

_Don’t forget your shot._ Dennis reminded her.

 

Jade muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “those shots can lick my balls” before changing and making her way to join Casey in the other room.

 

 

 

 


	5. Movie Night

Chapter 5: Movie Night

 

Jade entered the living room.

 

Casey didn’t notice at first; she was examining the bookshelf, eyes skimming over the plethora of novels, biographies, and histories. The books appeared to be arranged by genre, and by author’s last name within that setting. Dennis had clearly been busy.

 

“I _can’t believe_ that you haven’t seen this fuckin’ movie.” Jade declared, by way of a greeting.

 

Casey jumped slightly, turned to her newest host, and paused. She tried very hard not to stare, but it was a struggle.

 

Barry had been dressed with casual fashion, clothes that draped over their muscular frames in a way that was meant to draw the eye. Hedwig normally wore tracksuits that were bright and cheery. Those were the only two she had seen dressed to match their personalities, and now she was facing the loud personality that was Jade.

 

The alter standing before her now was dressed in fuzzy pink pajama pants that were slung almost scandalously low on her hips, purple furry slippers, and a cut off shirt that read “princess” in bedazzled cursive across her muscular chest. The shirt had spaghetti straps, and revealed muscular arms to match the muscular…everything.  Jade had one hand placed on her hip in a way that reminded Casey forcibly of Marcia when she was at her most stubborn, and Jade’s bright blue eyes danced with mischief.

 

“Hey…” Casey managed, grabbing hold of her runaway thoughts. Swallowing the knowledge that this was the most revealing outfit that she’d ever seen their body in, and her nervousness of being around an alter that she already knew to be more outspoken, she continued, “They watched ‘Les Mis’ in French. I took Latin.”

 

“Oh, and every Best Buy has been sold out for the years in between? Psh.” Jade rolled her eyes before smiling at Casey. “It’s ok, I’m here to fix this cryin’ tragedy. Plant your skinny ass on yonder couch, and prepare yourself.”

 

Casey obediently picked a corner of the couch and sat, forcing herself not to sit rigidly. “You didn’t strike me as the musical loving type.”

 

Jade, who had moved to the DVD shelf next to the television looked at Casey with a grave expression on her face. “What, because I’m diabetic?”

 

“What? No! I mean, because—“ Casey began quickly, horrified.

 

“Be cool, soda pop. I’m just yankin’ your chain. I dunno, I just fuckin’ love this movie. Surprised the shit outta everyone.” Jade overrode, grinning widely. “Basically the only thing that I have to talk to Orwell about.” She added, mostly to herself.

 

She turned her back to Casey, searching through the DVDs and selected the film.  Casey thought she could see long, thin scars, very old, reaching up towards the newly revealed freckled shoulders, but the light made it hard for her to be sure. Jade paused for only a moment to contemplate rearranging the disks from the careful alphabetical order that Dennis had corralled them into - _Do. Not._ Dennis instructed firmly from his chair – before placing the movie in the slightly worn DVD player and flicking on the television. Jade sashayed over to the couch and plopped herself on the middle cushion, leaving only a few inches between herself and Casey, but she bounced back up again almost immediately. “Shit!” she exclaimed.

 

“What?” asked Casey, startled. Everything that Jade did had an air of drama, and she wasn’t fully adjusted to it yet.

 

“Hold on a sec.” Jade instructed, rushing into the kitchen. “Fuck, I hope that spaz didn’t find it…”

 

“Find what?” Casey had turned on the couch, watching intently as Jade reached for a cereal box that sat on top of the refrigerator. As she watched, Jade pulled out the half empty bag of cereal, and then crowed with delight as she removed another package from the box. “…is that popcorn?” Casey asked.

 

“Hell yeah it is!” Jade’s smile was full of pride as she ripped the plastic off and tucked the package into the microwave. “Ha, take _that_ , asswipe.” She pulled a big bowl from the cupboard as the pops began to fill the room. Jade glanced back at Casey and smiled hugely at her. “Dennis _hates_ popcorn, so he always tosses it. I had to get creative to keep this one safe from that nazi.”

 

“O-oh. Gotcha. Uhm… if he hates it… should we be eating it?” the guest didn’t want to upset the host- hosts? – and this seemed like an ongoing battle between the more stubborn alters.

 

Jade sent her a dark look. “It’s not _my_ fault that he’s allergic to fun. He doesn’t even mind the taste; he just says it’s ‘too messy’. Whatever; he loves to clean, so this’ll give him something else to obsess over.” She reached into the microwave, but her hand froze as she reached for the bag. Her brows narrowed in irritation, and Jade shut her eyes. “Let _go_ , Dennis. This is my time.” She hissed into the kitchen.

 

_You’re going to make a mess._

“No, what I’m going to do is enjoy my movie with popcorn, like a normal human being, you dolt.” Her arm remained frozen above the popcorn.

 

Casey stood and gingerly approached the obstinate alter. She observed Jade’s half of the argument with interest, noting how different everyone really seemed to be. They were all individuals, sharing the same body, and it was incredible to behold. Jade hadn’t seemed to notice her approach, so the younger girl reached out tentatively, and lightly touched Jade’s shoulder. “I can live without the popcorn if it’s a problem.” She offered shyly.

 

Dennis’s attention swung to the gentle pressure on their shoulder, and Jade pounced on the opportunity, grabbing the popcorn gleefully. “Yesss… thanks, Case. C’mon, let’s watch.” Dumping the bag of popcorn into the oversized bowl, Jade went back to the couch, reclaiming her spot in the middle and putting her slipper-clad feet on the coffee table.

 

Casey came and sat in her spot beside Jade, tucking her feet carefully under her. When Jade offered her the bowl of popcorn, she carefully took a handful, mindful of any crumbs. Content, Jade began the film.

 

~*~*~*~

 

As the two women sat beneath the zoo, enjoying a blossoming friendship, Dr. Ellie Staple’s cell phone rang. The caller on the screen was listed as “The Society”, and she straightened up, flipping her perfectly sculpted hair over her shoulder and clearing her throat gently before answering. “Yes?”

 

“I have a name.”

 

Dr. Staple reached for a nearby pen and the pad of paper that resided in her desk drawer. It didn’t matter where she was; the desk and her notes always came with her, always in the same setup.

 

“Ready.” She said curtly, and then she paused, allowing the nondescript male voice at the other end to talk, before replying simply, “Got it.”

 

The connection broke off, and the doctor laced her fingers together, looking over the name that she had written in her neat, flowing script.

 

_“Kevin Wendell Crumb - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania_ ” was all that was on the note, and it was all that she would need to get started.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Okay, okay, you’re right, I’m sorry. I should’ve seen that sooner.” Casey sighed to Jade, her voice full of resignation. “It was really good.”

 

“You’re fucking welcome.” Jade replied amiably, standing. “Seriously though, thanks for coming over. I know you were freaked, but hopefully this was worth it.”

 

Casey felt the blush that darkened her cheeks as it blossomed. “No, that was stupid of me, earlier. It’s been fun. The whole day, I mean.”

 

“Oh yeah, I’m sure getting a tour from Dennis was a blast.” Jade replied absently, rolling her eyes again as she collected the DVD, returning it to its cover and its location on the shelf.

 

“The whole day has been nice, really. All of you are… so nice to me.” Casey said quietly, her eyes falling to her feet.

 

Jade turned back to her, expression softening for once. “Well, duh, of course we are. We _like_ you. We hope you like us too.”

 

Wide brown eyes shot up to Jade’s blue eyes, searching for sarcasm. “Of course I like you! You’re all… incredible. I just don’t get why you like me.”

 

Preening from the compliment, Jade stepped forward to Casey, taking her hand. “It’s hard to explain, and I’m not exactly the most eloquent of us, but… Hedwig likes you, a lot. When one of us likes you…” She trailed off, thinking hard. “We’re all different people, up here.” Jade tapped her temple lightly. “But, we’re all connected here.” Now Jade placed her free hand over her heart. “When one of us likes you, it’s hard for another of us _not_ to like you. Barry likes you a lot. So do I. So do the rest of us.”

 

Casey felt warmth spreading in her chest now, and smiled issued a light squeeze to Jade’s hand. It was the same body holding each of her hosts, but she swore the hand in her own was softer, more feminine. Jade was entirely her own person, and there was no confusing her with Barry, Dennis, or Hedwig. “But you don’t all like the same things. Like the popcorn.”

 

Jade snorted and rolled her eyes. “Fuckin’ popcorn. We’re our own people, but when it comes to like, relationships or some happy horseshit like that, we’re all connected. Even Patricia is inclined to like you, and that old bat is basically queen of the ice cunts.”

 

Clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, Casey reveled in the feeling of camaraderie. “Oh my god, Jade, your mouth.”

 

“Yup! You know, swearing is supposed to be a sign of intelligence. If you’ve got it, fuckin’ flaunt it.” Jade squeezed Casey’s hand in return. “I’ve got someone else who wants to visit ya, if you’re not too exhausted from watching the best movie in the history of ever.”

 

“Sure! But after that, I should probably go. Work tomorrow.” _And I need to be well rested before Marcia puts bamboo under my fingernails to find out every detail of tonight_ , she added to herself.

 

Jade suddenly hunched a little, seeming to withdraw into herself, becoming smaller. “CASEY! HI!” Hedwig’s voice rang out loudly. “It’s _so cool_ that you came to hang out!” His eyes dropped to Casey’s hand in his own and he gasped, “Are you my girlfriend now?”

 

Smiling and chuckling, Casey gently released Hedwig’s hand. “I’m a little too old to be your girlfriend, Hedwig. You’re only nine.”

 

“Uh huh, I knew that. You wanna see my room? I’ve got a sick CD player and a window and some mice and lots of cool stuff.” Hedwig suddenly realized what he was wearing and blushed vividly. “Jaaaaaaade!” he whined, embarrassed. “I gotta change.” he informed Casey quickly before darting back into the hallway. She could hear his scampering feet retreating in a flurry of motion, and she smiled to herself.

 

Casey took the opportunity to brush crumbs from the couch into the popcorn bowl, picking up any that she could see from the carpet below her. She took the bowl into the kitchen, dumped the remaining unpopped kernels into the trash, and gently began washing the bowl out at the sink. Maybe she could ease Dennis’s concerns over the popcorn a bit if she cleaned up, she reasoned. It didn’t seem like Jade was overly inclined to clean up after herself; she seemed to take extra pleasure in provoking the sterner alter.

 

“Okay, wanna see my room?” Hedwig called from the doorway, before vaulting over the couch to rejoin his friend. He was in a bright blue tracksuit, and seemed much more comfortable.

 

“Careful, Hedwig! You’ll break your neck!” Casey’s heart had skipped a beat while he was midair, but the boy cleared the furniture with ease. How strong did they keep themselves?

 

“Nah, I do that all the time. Come onnnn, Casey!” He tugged at her hand, and she allowed herself to be dragged back into the hallway. Hedwig stopped and opened a door that Dennis had failed to point out and Casey had failed to notice, revealing a room exploding with colors and toy animals. “You gotta stay here, but I’ll bring you stuff to see.” He drew an invisible line with his foot in the doorway that she was clearly not meant to cross.

 

“I can’t come in your room?” Casey asked, confused.

 

“No way! Patricia says that bringing girls into bedrooms is how they get pregnant.” Hedwig told her matter-of-factly. “Didn’t they teach you nothin’ at school?”

 

Casey laughed, shaking her head. “Okay, I’ll stay here. I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.” She shook her head at the innocence radiating from the boy, and her eyes scanned the room while he dug around, filling his arms with treasures to share.

 

The walls were covered in scrawled pictures of animals, shelves holding more animals both stuffed and plastic, posters, and, above his bed in the furthest corner, a few magazine clippings of various women’s cleavage. Casey bit her lip, deciding not to comment on his choice of decoration over there. “Do the others get their own rooms too?” she asked instead.

 

“Nah, they said I get one because I’m the youngest and I need the space to grow. Look, this is my favoritest toy!” he held up a battered action figure. “And this is my snake. Betcha thought it was real, didn’t you?” the plastic snake in his outstretched hand had googly eyes and was neon purple. He bounced back into his room, gesturing wildly to a crayon window above his CD player. “Closed… Open! Closed… open! Neat, huh?” he exclaimed, flipping the drawing up to reveal another window drawing, this one depicting a window that had been opened wide.

 

“Way cool.” Casey said, smiling indulgently. She allowed him to point out a few more things, but a glance at the wild animal-themed clock above his bed showed that it was past 10:30. “Hedwig, I gotta start to get home. Sorry, buddy; I need some sleep before I go back to work tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, okay! I’ll walk you out. I know my way around here real good.” Hedwig flipped off his light (a nightlight shaped like a roaring lion clicked on as the main light clicked off) and joined Casey in the hallway. He suddenly looked crestfallen, and the blue eyes that rose to meet her brown ones were swimming in tears. “Will you come back?”

 

Casey was startled by the sudden vulnerability. She rubbed his arm reassuringly as she told him, “Of course I will. If you all want me to, I’ll come back.”

 

Hedwig sniffled and pulled a crumpled tissue from his pocket, blowing his nose loudly. “Promise?”

 

“Yes, Hedwig, I promise. Why do you think I wouldn’t come back?”

 

He bit his lip, faltering under her concerned gaze, then muttered, “Because people think we’re freaks. No one ever comes back. No one ever comes to visit.”

 

Her heart was breaking for the lonely child. How to assuage his fears? Casey reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small, old iPod, white earbuds wrapped tightly around its slender plastic body. She held it for a moment before offering it to the boy. “Here, take my music. That way you can enjoy it, and then I’ll _have_ to come back to get it, right?”

 

Hedwig broke into a wide, watery grin. “Really?” he asked, and carefully took it from her when she nodded. “I promise I won’t break it. An’ I’ll listen to it every day.” He placed it on his dresser with an ease that was almost reverent.

 

She smiled at him. “Okay, Hedwig.” She reached out and gave his broad shoulder a squeeze. “Now, I really have to be going.”

 

“Right! I’ll lead you. Do you know where Mr. Dennis put the keys?”

 

“I’ve got them right here in my pocket. Will you lose them if I give them to you once we’re out?”

 

Hedwig shook his head seriously, then grabbed her hand and tugged her back the way she had initially entered. Soon enough, a cool night breeze was playing with her long dark hair, and the leaves on the trees were rustling gently, whispering their secrets to the long shadows stretched across the sidewalk. The boy babbled happily about his favorite animals at the zoo, and how Mr. Dennis kept everything in order.

 

Once they had reached the gates and stepped through, Casey pulled out her phone and summoned a Lyft, deciding that it was too late to try to walk home. She also sent a quick text to Marcia letting her know that she was alive and heading home and would talk to her tomorrow; she didn’t feel like fielding any of the questions that Marcia would surely begin volleying at her.

 

The chattering boy had fallen silent, and he straightened up a bit. Barry stood in his place, regarding her with his head tilted. “Hey, babygirl. Have fun?” he asked her warmly.

 

Casey’s eyes found his in the light shining down on the pair from the nearby streetlight, and she smiled up at him. “I had a great time. Thank you. Here’s the keys… My ride will be here in a few minutes.”

 

Barry reached out, presumably for the keys, but instead reached past her outstretched hand, placing his large hand on her small waist, and pulled her close to him. He was aware of how well her small frame fit against his larger one, and he reached out with his other hand to gently brush his fingers across the soft skin of her cheek. Her lips parted slightly at his touch, eyelids fluttering shut as she leaned her head into the warmth of his slight touch. Barry leaned forward slowly, and placed his warm mouth against her soft, full lips.

 

She leaned into the kiss now, losing herself in the moment in a way that she had never thought herself capable of doing, tentatively placing her hands on his upper arms. Barry deepened the kiss in response, his tongue flitting inquisitively around her own. His arms tightened around her, and they were lost in the moment together.

 

After what felt like either no time at all or an eternity, they pulled apart slightly, remaining in each other’s arms. There were small patches of colors high on Casey’s cheek, and her heart felt like it would slam out of her chest. Barry’s pupils were blown wide, and he leaned down slightly to rest his forehead against hers.

 

They were standing entwined like that when headlights splashed over them; Casey’s Lyft was pulling up. “Keys.” She whispered softly, and pressed the overloaded ring into his hand. She turned to greet the car, but Barry held her a moment longer, pressing another quick kiss to her soft lips, needing another taste of her sweetness before she was whisked away from him.

 

Casey smiled at the man holding her, the first man she had trusted in years, and said, not without regret, “I have to go.”

 

“I know, doll. Have a good night.” He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face, his hand lingering on her cheek for another moment, studying her face, before he released her.

 

The girl got into the patiently waiting car, and she turned once more to catch his eyes, smile, and wave to him. Barry stood watching until the taillights had disappeared from view, and then turned to let himself back into his apartment, still smelling her gently floral perfume on the air, and enjoying the lingering feel of her lips against his own.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, just popping by to say a) sorry for Jade's mouth, but it is just so fun to write her; b) the pictures of cleavage in Hedwig's bedroom is a real thing - you can see them in "Split"; and c) thank you so much for all of the wonderful support... this story is taking more to write than my previous story, and the feedback is super appreciated.


	6. Dinner Guest

Chapter 6: Dinner Guest

 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Dr. Fletcher?” A woman’s voice on the line, calm and cultured.

 

“Yes, how may I help you?”

 

“My name is Dr. Ellie Staple. I’m a psychologist… I’ve done some studies on individuals with, ah, _unique_ qualities, and I’ve recently been shown some of your work. I was hoping we could meet up for coffee.”

 

A pause. “How did you get my personal cell number?”

 

“Right, sorry about that. I can be a little forward when something interests me… a friend of mine had your number from another colleague, a Dr.  Clerque, and was able to pass it on to me.”

 

“Ah… well, I would need to check my schedule. May I give you a call back?”

 

“Of course.” Dr. Staple carefully relayed her contact information into the phone. She made a few notes in the slowly growing file labeled “K. W. Crumb”. A picture, taken in high resolution, showing Barry, who was smiling and leaning casually on a chain linked fence, was studied for a moment before being placed carefully into the folder.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Casey Cooke sat in an overstuffed green easy chair, feeling exhausted. She hadn’t been able to sleep after leaving the zoo; every time that she closed her eyes, visions of Barry’s big, blue eyes danced in her mind, and the warm memory of his lips against hers… Now, after a day of work that felt like it had drifted past her like a cloud, she was at the Benoit residence. As promised, she had agreed to hang out with Claire and Marcia, and they were picking her brain relentlessly.

 

The exchange of information was made more difficult by Casey’s decision to continue to blend all of the people she had spent the previous evening with into one entity, Kevin. She selected each detail carefully, trying not to make Kevin sound like a madman, and feeling distinctly ashamed of herself for reducing such an interesting man into someone who sounded basically average. Casey still couldn’t bring herself to tell her friends about the many personalities; it would only bring more questions, and Casey wasn’t sure she’d be able to explain her bond with Barry, Jade, Hedwig, and even Dennis to Claire or Marcia.

 

So, here she was, trying not to get exasperated by the increasingly personal questions that the other girls kept asking her.

 

“He has his own place _under_ the zoo? How?” Claire asked, intrigued.

 

“Some work arrangement that he figured out with his boss. He’s head of maintenance.” Casey responded.

 

“He didn’t… try anything… while you were watching the movie?” Marcia inquired, watching Casey’s bemused expression.

 

“No, we just ate popcorn and watched the movie. Then he walked me out, I caught a Lyft, and went home.”

 

Claire tilted her head, eyes narrowing as she studied Casey. “And he didn’t kiss you good night?”

 

Casey flushed immediately, and the flush grew bolder as her two friends squealed with delight.

 

“Oh my god, Casey Cooke kissed a boy, and she liked it!” Claire exclaimed, smiling hugely at Casey.

 

Marcia’s smile faded a fraction, and she asked in a more normal voice, “Hey, Case, isn’t he like… decently older than you?”

 

Shrugging her shoulders, Casey replied firmly, “Yeah, he’s like ten years older than me. And?”

 

Before Marcia could respond, Claire broke in. “So, what? I haven’t dated guys my age since tenth grade. There’s something to be said for a little more experience, right, Casey?” Claire’s eyebrows rose, full of suggestion.

 

Casey ‘s blush darkened further, and she could feel the heat on her cheeks. “Wouldn’t know about that, Claire. We just get along fine, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a big difference.”

 

“You mean you wouldn’t know about that _yet_.” Claire insisted, smiling jovially at the now entirely red faced Casey.

 

Taking pity on their clearly uncomfortable friend, Marcia eased the conversation away from Casey’s personal life. With their focus off of her, Casey checked her phone. Warmth bubbled into her chest when she saw the messages waiting for her.

 

<Hey doll, we loved having you over yesterday -B>

 

<Best. Movie. Ever. – J>

 

<What’s your schedule look like? Care to join us hooligans again? –B>

 

Casey texted back, making plans for dinner later in the week. It was nice to look forward to being with someone, to not just plan to go home to her small empty house, waiting for the next day to begin.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Well, hello, Barry! You’re in good spirits!” Dr. Fletcher smiled warmly at the radiant alter after he had kissed her cheek in greeting. She stepped aside, letting him in to her office.

 

He made his way to his preferred chair, and favored her with a wide grin. “Things are great, Dr. Fletcher. I can’t complain.”

 

“Everything is going well at home?”

 

Barry considered for a moment. “Jade and Dennis had it out; she’d been hiding popcorn around the apartment and he declared a jihad on it. He threw it all out, and she’s been sulking a bit since then, but otherwise things have been great.” In his mind, he saw Dennis holding the light, impervious to Jade’s attempt to snag it back from him. The serious alter was the biggest and strongest of them all, and didn’t flinch when Jade had tried to claw back the light when it became apparent that her yells were falling on deaf ears.

 

“Did you have to intervene?” Dr. Fletcher asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

 

He shook his head. “Nah, not over something like that. Casey cleaned up the popcorn the last time it was out, but you know that Jade never will. If she can’t be bothered, she doesn’t need to have it.”

 

A shocked look passed over the doctor’s face for just a moment before she returned to her usual, friendly expression. “Casey cleaned up the popcorn? Were you at a theater?”

 

“No… no. We’ve been seeing more of each other.” Barry fiddled with his sketches, unable to look at the older woman in case she had a look of disapproval weighing down her normally light expression.

 

“ _How_ much more have you been seeing of each other?” she pried. She hadn’t been able to take Hedwig to the aquarium in a while – she had been attending conferences, and her patient load had increased. It had occurred to her that her usually outspoken patient had been surprisingly fine with her apologetic call to postpone the visits, but her work had swept the thought from her mind.

 

Barry had been fidgeting, but now he straightened. His shoulders rolled back, settling in a tall, squared position. His legs uncrossed. He placed a pair of glasses on his suddenly stern face. Finally, Dennis crossed his arms, regarding the doctor with his unreadable blue eyes.

 

“Hello, Dennis.”

 

“How are you, Dr. Fletcher?” he replied evenly. Everything that this personality did was even and balanced, firm and immovable.

 

“Did Barry ask you to take over?” she asked him.

 

Dennis gave his head a small shake. “He was uncomfortable. So I took over.”

 

“I wish you’d let me talk to Barry, Dennis. You each should be able to operate without interrupting each other, and it’s not fair of Barry to drag you out because he wants to avoid an uncomfortable moment. We’ve talked about this – it’s a step on the path towards sleeping like Kevin, and we wouldn’t want that.”

 

His attention had turned to the chocolate bowl beside him, out of place as always, but his eyes snapped back to hers at the mention of Kevin’s name. “We all meet with Casey. The others are nervous that you’ll tell us to stop. So I’m here to face you.” His voice was practically monotonous, and Dr. Fletcher knew that his defenses were up.

 

She brought a hand up to rest her chin on it, studying the alter sitting across from her. He merely looked back stoically, waiting for her next move. “Alright, Dennis,” she sighed, “then you tell me: how long have you all been seeing Casey? How often?”

 

“It’s been about three weeks. We see her every couple of days. We do a lot of different things, and she’s getting to meet all of us. Sometimes she goes to the park with Hedwig, or she’s been to the museum with Orwell, the movies with Luke; stuff like that. She’s come over to watch stuff with Jade a couple times – I had to remove the popcorn.”

 

“What about the others?” Dr. Fletcher pressed.

 

“She spends the most time with Barry. They’re… becoming a thing.”

 

Dr. Fletcher hesitated before pressing further. “And what about you, Dennis? How do her visits go with you?” Her face looked friendly, but he could see how sharp her eyes were, prying into him.

 

He ran a hand over his head – a small display of discomfort – then squared his jaw and replied. “I stay back. I’m bein’ good, doctor.”

 

“Does she know about your… proclivities…? Or your beliefs?” she continued, eyes boring into his own.

 

“No.” The word fell in the room like a stone. “I’m bein’ good.” He repeated robotically. “She means a lot to us.”

 

She leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to think. “Is she safe around you?”

 

Dennis snorted derisively. “Around us, or around me?” He paused a moment to let his statement wash over the woman before continuing, “She’s safe. I’ve barely seen her.” This was mostly true. Dennis emerged to walk her into the zoo each of the next three times that Casey had come over, each time handing her the keys, but otherwise had stayed in the background. Barry always gave her an increasingly lingering kiss before she left, and they had begun kissing when they greeted each other, and he would walk arm in arm with her, or an arm around her waist, always wanting to touch the younger woman but never pressing… Dennis envied the self control. Dennis couldn’t resist watching, yearning to feel her soft warmth.

 

But he was being good.

 

“Well, thank you for sharing.” Dr. Fletcher said.

 

He blinked at her, and raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

 

The doctor nodded. “Unless there’s anything else you think that you should add? You’re all… except for Hedwig, of course… adults. And of course, if you ever have questions, or feelings to discuss, you all know my number.”

 

He allowed himself a small sigh of relief. He had been prepared for horror that they would attempt to see someone romantically, braced to receive ridicule, and had been met with none of that. Dr. Fletcher always surprised and believed in them; it was something that they loved about her. If they had searched for a maternal replacement they may have found it in her, but one mother had been more than enough.

 

Dr. Fletcher cleared her throat gently before smiling at Dennis. “While I’ve got you… tell me, Dennis, do you still have strong beliefs?”

 

Dennis was motionless for a moment; it seemed that everything had stopped, right down to his pulse. “I do.” He began, slowly. “I believe in the beast, but he’s not needed, not right now. Casey believes in us… you should see her, Dr. Fletcher. She doesn’t treat us like monsters; we are incredible to her. The beast is for when no one believes us. When we’re threatened by something that I can’t handle.”

 

She had been taking small notes as he spoke, and the doctor noticed that he was breathing harder when he finished speaking. “Dennis, I’ll ask you again: is Casey safe with you?”

 

He met her eyes, unwavering. “Yes.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

<Would you like to come over for dinner?> Casey texted Barry. She was proud of herself, and incredibly nervous. She had never invited anyone in – not even Marcia.

 

The answer was immediate. <At your house? I’m honored. Of course. See you at 7? – B>.

 

She confirmed the time, and immediately set about straightening up her house… not that there was much. She had a few things, had hung up a few posters and photos to make the place her own. This was her place, and everything in it had never been blighted by her uncle’s presence. It was all new, without a memory of pain and disappointment. Casey hoped that letting Barry and the others into her house would be the first step towards creating walls that would have happy stories to tell.

 

Right now, if her walls could talk, they would have nothing to say.

 

At seven o’clock, the doorbell rang, and she answered the door, her heart in her throat. Barry stood there, holding a small bouquet and a bottle of red wine. Before handing either to Casey, he leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on her lips, and her mind whirled. She was being kissed in her doorway, something that happened to a million other people daily, but had never happened to her. Did he know how special his attention made her feel?

 

She sighed as they parted, and collected the wine from him. “Let me get a vase for those… you can put your shoes there… and the coat closet is here…” Barry shrugged out of his light jacket, switching which hand held the bright flowers to do so.

 

They were in a small hallway. Behind her were stairs that would lead to her bedroom and the upstairs bathroom; on this floor were several doorways that lead to the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a small study that would have also served as a guest room if she’d ever had anyone to stay over. As she pointed these rooms out with quick gestures, she was quietly thankful that Barry chose not to comment over the bedroom. They hadn’t progressed beyond deep kisses, with his hands tangling into her hair ( _hadn’t progressed yet_ , she could almost hear Claire smirking), and he seemed to have picked up on her nervousness regarding anything physical without her having to stammer through a half-hearted explanation.

 

Casey led him to the kitchen, where she had set the dining table with a candle and plates heaped up with what she desperately hoped would be edible pasta and meatballs. She retrieved a vase and put the flowers in, putting them on the counter where they added warmth to the room.

 

“Smells divine, doll.” Barry whispered into her ear, his breath warm. He was behind her, and his hands were on her waist, squeezing gently. She turned her head to thank him, and his mouth was on hers. She twisted in his grasp, turning to fully face him, kissing him back with an abandon that she didn’t know she had. Was that his heart pounding hard enough for her to feel it, or was hers jack hammering like that?

 

The kiss broke, and they stood there, gasping slightly for breath, twin flushes warming their cheeks. “We shouldn’t let it get cold…” she managed to say, not wanting to leave his arms, but vaguely remembering that he had come over for dinner.

 

They ate, chatting amiably between bites. Barry poured each of them a generous cup of wine (to his amusement, she had a cupboard nearly full of mismatched coffee mugs, so his wine was in a cup that displayed the cracked liberty bell, while Casey sipped from a dark blue mug adorned with stars), and they had been enjoying the whole ensemble.

 

“Hey, hon, if I can ask… how do you afford this place?” Barry asked her, finally freeing the question that had been bouncing around the chairs that surrounded the light.

 

Casey froze, dropping her eyes from his as she did when she was uncomfortable. She spoke quietly, addressing her plate. “When my uncle… died… I sold everything, and used the money to buy this place.”

 

“Oh, Casey, I’m so sorry…” He reached for her shoulder, but she flinched when he touched her. Barry hesitated, starting to withdraw his hand, but she reached up and caught it, her brown eyes finding his again as she pulled herself out of her dark memories.

 

“Don’t be.” She whispered.

 

Barry drew her hand to his side of the table, placing a small kiss on her knuckles. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that he knew so much and somehow also so little about the object of his affections. She became vague when it came to her family (of which she apparently had none), but was happy to talk about interests and hopes. He could have recited, if asked to do so, her favorite flower, color, painter, writer, and season; but he would’ve been unable to supply her father’s name, or what town she had grown up in.

 

 _…I can clean up._ Dennis’s calm voice echoed in the back of Barry’s skull. _Besides, you know that I have to be here for…later._

 

He bit his lip, thinking, before he said to Casey, “Dennis wants to help clean up.”

 

Casey smiled then, her eyes twinkling. “He must be horrified by my kitchen.”

 

Dennis straightened up in the chair, seeming to take up more space somehow, and released her hand, which Barry had still been holding. “No, I’m not.” He put his glasses on and glanced around, making notes of which paintings were not perfectly straight on the wall, the drawer that was slightly ajar, spices that didn’t appear to be lined up alphabetically. “I’ve seen worse.”

 

Her smile was small, but genuine. “Thanks… I think.”

 

He turned his cold blue eyes to her, but they didn’t seem _as_ cold as usual. Just… guarded. “I wanted to thank you for giving Hedwig your music a few weeks ago… and also wanted to ask you to take it back.”

 

Eyebrows rising, Casey asked, “Why?”

 

Dennis sighed, closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and suddenly Hedwig burst forward onto his features, yelling, “MY ANACONDA DON’T WANT NONE UNLESS YOU’VE GOT _BUNS_ , HON!”

 

Just as quickly, Hedwig was gone, and Dennis was back, regarding Casey with his usual even stare. “He discovered that…song… and has been repeating it.” A sigh. “Nonstop.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Loudly.”

 

She stared for a minute, then began to laugh. Her shoulders shaking, she leaned back in her chair, laughing harder at the look of mild amusement on the man’s face. It took several moments to get a hold of herself; whenever she looked at Dennis’s calm face, his raised eyebrow, she would see Hedwig’s jubilant face bursting forward, singing the old Sir Mix-A-Lot song. Still snickering, she croaked, “Sorry… sorry for laughing… but that was so… oh god.” She began to laugh again.

 

Inclining his head in a small nod, Dennis stood and collected the dishes, taking them to her sink and beginning to wash them. She stepped beside him, close beside him, elbows nearly brushing, and she took the dish that he had just finished and began to dry it. Dennis focused on the act of cleaning, trying to ignore the warmth radiating off of her.

 

When the dishes were through, he sat down at the table again, and regarded her with his turbulent blue eyes.

 

Casey reclaimed her spot across from him, watching him curiously. He had acquired a slightly distant look, one she associated with an internal conversation among the personalities. The best thing to do was to wait until they were through, so she did.

 

After what felt like ages, the clock ticking hollowly above them on the wall, Dennis refocused on her. “I think that you’re hiding something.”

 

Her eyes widened, and her breath caught. She opened her mouth, not sure what would come out, but Dennis raised a hand, silencing her.

 

“I’m not asking you what it is…tonight. I will ask you, later. When it seems right. You make us happy, and we hope that we make you happy as well; I won’t tinker with that by asking you to show me your demons.” He winced. “Barry is unhappy with me saying any of this to you.”

 

 _Leave her ALONE, Dennis!_ Barry was yelling, unable to budge the alter from the light.

“I… understand.” Casey said softly. There was no arguing with his controlled voice. Besides, hadn’t she known deep down that they would want to know her at some point? Maybe when Dennis eventually asked she’d even be able to answer.

 

He nodded, then ran a hand over his head. “That’s not what we wanted to talk to you about though… There’s someone that we want you to meet.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Dennis removed his glasses, but before he did, he sent her a look that was almost… vulnerable. Then he went still.

 

The body across the table from Casey slouched a little; the strong alter was gone. He leaned forward with his forearms onto the table, hands clenched into fists, his head down, eyes clenched shut. He was shaking, shivering violently.

 

She slowly rose from the table and approached him, and he jumped when she touched his shoulder. His eyes opened and met hers, full of misery and caution. He let out a shaky breath. “Hello.” he whispered, watching her warily.

 

“Hi there… I’m Casey. Who are you?” She asked in a low voice, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

 

His head bowed for a moment, as if he was mustering up the energy to respond. His shaking had subsided, but he still had an air of misery around him.

 

“I’m Kevin.”

 

 

 

 


	7. Two Sides of the Same Coin

Chapter 7: Two Sides of the Same Coin

 

The broken man at her table held her eyes for a moment before dropping them to his hands. He closed his eyes, and shook his head lightly, as if trying to clear it.

 

“Hi, Kevin. I’m Casey. It’s nice to meet you.” His wary eyes flitted to her wide brown ones briefly as she said this. The contrast between Kevin and Dennis was startling, although their voices were very similar. Dennis squared himself, his edges a fortress that had been put forth to keep the outside world at bay. Kevin was rounded, a river rock that had been worn down by the cruel and relentless waters passing over it.

 

“You must be pretty important to the others if they want me to meet you.” Kevin said this slowly, and he managed a small, crooked smile that went straight to Casey’s heart.

 

“You’re all very important to me, too. I think you’re all amazing, Kevin.” It was a true statement, and Casey never tired of telling them this. Having grown up with a lack of compliments, she knew the importance of sharing warmth when it was available.

 

Kevin regarded her cautiously, waiting for the other shoe to drop as it inevitably had his whole life. When nothing cruel followed her statement after a few moments, he allowed himself to look around the mildly cheery, if somewhat bare, kitchen. It was quiet, here. Peaceful. He closed his eyes, trying to relax.

 

“…Kevin?” Casey hesitantly asked.

 

_KEVIN WENDELL CRUMB, GET OUT HERE!_ Screeched his mother in his head, and he winced before looking at the demure brunette who was now kneeling beside him. Her large doe eyes were searching his face. “You probably shouldn’t be on the floor… it’s dirty.” He told her with a grimace.

 

She smiled at him now, a soft upturn at the corners of her full lips, and her eyes twinkled kindly at him. “Do you want a tour of my house, or to watch a show? What do you like? We could walk…”

 

The idea of going outside froze his heart; the outside was inhabited by pointing fingers, staring eyes, and vicious words. “No… thanks. I… I don’t like to be in the light. I…” he sighed. “It was nice to meet you… Casey.”

 

Her face fell a little at this. When was the last time anyone had looked _disappointed_ that he was leaving, Kevin wondered, except maybe Dr. Fletcher, but she was paid to care…

 

_Casey DOES care, though._ Barry murmured reassuringly.

 

_Stay._ Dennis told him, his inarguable voice in his head.

 

Kevin turned and looked over his shoulder, as he would in his head, forgetting that he was in the light. “No.” He replied simply. Dennis held sway over the other alters, but not Kevin.

 

“No?” Casey asked.

 

His blue eyes slid back to her, and he offered her another of those small, crooked smiles. “No, I can’t stay.”

 

“But… you should.” She whispered to him. “Stay in the light with me, a little longer.”

 

He looked around. “Look…You… have a beautiful place… and… you’re lovely.” His stomach clenched in embarrassment as his eyes slid away from her, unable to watch how she would take the statement. “But I can’t stay in the light. You can’t know how much it has hurt me.”

 

Casey took his hand. He stared at her long fingers as they wrapped around his, warm and soft; gentle. “I know that it can hurt.” She whispered.

 

Kevin looked up at her. Her large eyes held something behind them… something that reminded him of his own eyes if he caught a glimpse of them in a mirror.

 

He nodded, then let go of the light. It was too much, always too much.

 

Casey had never seen an alter let go unexpectedly; when Kevin’s body suddenly went limp and he slipped out of the chair bonelessly, she was just able to grab his shoulders, shocked by the sudden slump. He was too heavy, and she fell over in what felt like slow motion, her back hitting the kitchen floor, his muscled body falling on top of her, with his head on her shoulder.

 

She had a moment, a split second, to feel the old panic rise in her; trapped beneath a man’s body as she had been all of those times before. Frozen, unable to move, tears sprang to her eyes.

 

Then the body on top of her came back to life, and Dennis was there, on top of her, his face inches away from her own. His unreadable eyes locked onto hers, and everything about him tensed. Casey saw him noting the tears in her eyes, and saw the moment that he realized that they were on the floor.

 

Dennis jumped up in a precise motion, like a folding chair opening, and reached down, placing his strong hands on her hips and simply lifting her off of the floor as if she weighed nothing. He set her on her feet.

 

They stood there, his hands on her hips, his face directly in front of hers, for a moment. Dennis reached into his back pocket and pulled out a yellow handkerchief, and cautiously reached out with it. He gingerly dabbed at her eyes, banishing the tears from them with one hand, while the other remained a firm pressure on her waist.

 

He leaned forward, his eyes a darker blue than she had ever seen them, and inspected his work. She stood there, lips parted slightly in surprise. This was the most contact she’d ever had with him, and her heart skipped a beat at the intensity in his expression. His roiling eyes fell to her mouth, and it was his undoing.

 

His lips crashed against hers as an ocean crashes against a sea wall. Although his entire body tensed, he did not squeeze or crush her. The only part of him that was active was his mouth, his kisses swallowing her like the tide.

 

The man released her suddenly, and took a controlled step back. His mouth was a thin line as his eyes scrunched shut, and Casey watched his breathing slow to a normal pace. After a moment, he opened his eyes and considered her as he folded the handkerchief deftly and returned it to his pocket. Dennis had regained his rigid control.

 

Casey stood there, breathless, as her head spun. It was as if everything in the room had taken a subtle turn, and nothing was quite where it should be. She had a _special friend,_ as her friends would have referred to him, in her house for the first time ever; one of the alters had called her on her hidden past; she had met an elusive personality that was so broken that her own heart broke for him; and now Dennis had kissed her with a controlled passion that had her pulse galloping.

 

It was a lot for one evening.

 

She opened her mouth to speak, not sure what would come out. Dennis kept his eyes carefully on her own, jaw tightening as he restrained the urge to look at her mouth and risk losing himself again. “You… kissed me.” she was able to utter, cursing herself for not having something more brilliant to say.

 

 One of his hands rose to run over his closely cropped hair in his usual agitated manner, his gaze dropping to his shoes. “Yes.”

 

When he didn’t say anything further, she continued, “I, uhm, don’t know how this works.”

 

His eyes rose back to hers, and he rose an eyebrow, wanting her to continue.

 

“What do I do when someone kisses me with the body that I’m used to being kissed by… but it’s not the same person kissing me?” She plunged on; no turning back now. “What normally happens?”

 

_I get slapped_. Dennis thought, but didn’t say it. “There’s not a ‘normal’ for someone like us.”

 

Casey rolled her eyes at him, and some of the tension in the room dispersed. “So?”

 

_Ugh, let me try to clean this all up, you troglodyte._ Barry snapped at Dennis, who gratefully handed the light off, though he did not return to his seat. Instead, he stood nearby, watching and listening.

 

Barry relaxed Dennis’s hard posture, and tipped Casey a wink. “Hey doll, having an interesting evening?”

 

“Oh, Barry,” she sighed, and suddenly she could feel the tears prickling at her eyes again, “I thought you’d be mad.”

 

Pulling her into his arms, encircling her in a warm hug, Barry kissed her forehead and held her.

 

She pulled back slightly so that she could look at him. Her tears had risen in relief and guilt – she really was happy that he wasn’t mad, but guilt also bubbled up in her because she had _enjoyed_ Dennis’s kiss; shouldn’t she have railed against him, declared her tent firmly in only Barry’s camp, and sent him packing back to his chair? Casey knew that they were different people. “I’m sorry.” She whispered.

 

“Case, we’re… a little hard to explain. You have _nothing_ to be sorry for.” Barry began, shaking his head and smiling disarmingly at her. “Dennis and I… we spend so much time watching for Kevin… we’re _really_ connected. All of us are connected, but it’s more of a brother-sister thing with Jade, Luke, Hedwig; the others. Dennis and I are like… opposite sides of the same coin.” He mused for a moment. “I guess Kevin is the ridges of that coin.”

 

“…you’re saying that you don’t mind that Dennis kissed me?” she asked haltingly, wanting to be sure that she was following correctly.

 

Barry’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “You sound like you’re asking me if I mind if other people kiss you.” He sighed. “It’s hard to explain, because you’re not in here,” he tapped his temple lightly with  a finger, “but I’m trying, hon. It’s like Jade said the first time you came over: the more one of us likes you, the easier it is for the rest of us to.”

 

“But Jade hasn’t kissed me.”

 

“And she won’t. She and I aren’t as interwoven as Dennis and I are. Kevin used to depend on Dennis to get through hurtles in life. Now, he largely depends on me… I think because we’ve gotten so much of his focus, we’ve… I dunno, blended? The stronger that I feel for you, the more Dennis does. The more Dennis cares, the more that I do, and so on. Him kissing you doesn’t feel like a _betrayal_ , Casey, it feels like relief. It’s like I’ve been holding my breath.”

 

She turned this explanation over in her mind, poking at it for weak spots. “So… you wanted me to kiss Dennis?”

 

He took a deep breath, considering. “I guess so. If I’m breathing in, Dennis is breathing out. If I go up, Dennis comes down. I’m the chewing, he’s the swallowing. I don’t know how many more metaphors I can come up with, so just… yeah. It’s easier for me to be with you if it’s _us_ being with you.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me this before? What if I don’t want to be shared?” She wasn’t mad, just curious.

 

“ ‘Hey, this has been a great second date, now, before I kiss you like I’m absolutely dying to do, can I just see if it’s okay if my intense other half also gets a turn at bat?’” Barry intoned, smiling and shaking his head. “Sorry, doll, it was selfish of me, but I _really_ wanted to kiss you. I wanted to hold on to you for as long as I could; if that meant that Dennis had to take the back burner, we were willing to try it for as long as we could.”

 

The muscles around her heart were loosening, allowing her pulse to approach normal again. This was really going to be okay, somehow. “What… what if I didn’t like it when Dennis kissed me?”

 

Barry examined her closely, and for once she could almost find Dennis in those piercing eyes. “If you didn’t… if you don’t want… this… we can understand. We can go.”

 

Casey wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself tightly against him again. “No. I just needed to know. I want you here… both of you. All of you.”

 

The body holding her tensed and squared again, and she looked up into Dennis’s stormy eyes once more. His lips found hers, and they embraced. As they kissed, the light passed to back to Barry, and the notes of the kiss changed from strong and full of want to passionate and eager. Dennis took the light again, and his hungry kisses covered her lips again before they slowed into Barry’s romantic osculation. So it went, back and forth, and she was given the sum of their affections as it continued.

 

When at last the kiss ended, Casey was completely out of breath. “Wow.” She whispered. She’d thought the kisses that Barry had given her leading up to tonight had been intense, but they had been static electricity compared to the lightning strike that was the full kiss of the combined alters.

 

Dennis nodded at her, a small smile pulling the edges of his mouth upwards. “Wow.” He agreed.

 

Barry leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose, making her giggle, as he added, “Wow.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Across town, Dr. Fletcher sat across from a business-like woman with dark blond hair, carefully plucked eyebrows, and ruby red lips. Her normally warm eyes swept over the unfamiliar woman with frank distrust as she sipped her tea.

 

“Thank you for meeting with me.” Dr. Staple said politely, setting her own empty cup to the edge of the table for the busboy to claim.

 

They had agreed to meet in a small café not far from Dr. Fletcher’s office. Dr. Staple had been kind, interested, and polite, but her eyes remained cold and calculating the entire time. She had introduced her studies, the idea that some people were given to the inclination that they held super powers, when they were just normal people with delusions of grandeur.

 

Dr. Fletcher was unimpressed.

 

“Of course; it’s always nice to meet someone else from the field.” Dr. Fletcher replied, silently debating how much longer she should stay before she would be able to make her excuses and leave without appearing rude. The other doctor set off warning bells in her head, and the elder doctor had always trusted her intuitions.

 

“I read some of your research, and I saw your presentation on Skype to the French panel. Your work just fascinates me. So many interesting patients.” Dr. Staple continued.

 

_Ah,_ Dr. Fletcher thought, _here’s the rub._

“One of your patients in particular caught my eye – a Kevin Crumb, the one with Disassociate Identity Disorder. His case is just… so very intriguing. And he lives in Philadelphia, doesn’t he?” She finished.

 

“I’m really not at liberty to discuss specific cases, you know that.” Dr. Fletcher countered, careful to keep her voice warm, but drawing a line in the conversation to not be crossed.

 

Dr. Staple crossed it. “Oh, of course I know that, but I was hoping to drop in on a session, to meet with him. I’m actually taking up a position at Raven Hill Memorial Psychiatric Research Hospital, so I thought that it would be nice to take advantage of my relatively close proximity to such a _rare_ individual. I’d just be _thrilled_ to have him drop by from time to time.”

 

Dr. Fletcher was nonplussed. “Our sessions are private – I work alone, doctor, and I’ve seen some marvelous results with Kevin.” She noted how the other woman’s facial expression didn’t change. “As you surely are aware, many people with D.I.D. end up institutionalized, and Kevin has managed to avoid that. I don’t want to change anything at this point in his therapy, and I certainly wouldn’t want him to go to Raven Hill, even as an outpatient option.”

 

The younger doctor’s lips turned into an empty smile, one cultivated from practice, not actual emotion. “I wouldn’t _dream_ of doing anything that would create setback, Dr. Fletcher. And you certainly wouldn’t dream of standing in the way of his progress, would you?”

 

“I only want for Kevin to succeed.”

 

“Excellent. I work with an organization dedicated to research like ours, so I really must insist on joining a session.”

 

“I would have to ask for Kevin’s permission before letting a stranger in, and he is not inclined to trust new people easily, Dr. Staple.” Dr. Fletcher answered firmly.

 

“Yes, please do ask for his permission. If he won’t give it, I’m certain that the board would be interested to hear what reasons you have for turning me away.”

 

Dr. Fletcher raised an eyebrow in an unconscious imitation of Dennis at that. “My, that nearly sounds like a threat to my license.”

 

“Does it? Hmm.” Dr. Staple smiled her saccharine smile, while her predatory eyes remained flat and unwelcome. “I would think that you’d be happy to have us meet on, shall we say, your turf, instead of having him… collected and brought to mine.”

 

Paling at this suggestion, Dr. Fletcher forced a small smile back onto her face. She was beaten at this turn, but she would not let Kevin go near that institution. “I shall speak to Kevin.”

 

“Excellent. Do keep me posted; I’ll clear my schedule for whenever is best for him.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dennis and Barry stood embracing Casey in her entrance way. The kitchen had been cleaned up, and they had a small Tupperware of leftovers in hand. The lightning strikes that were their kisses had thundered around the kitchen, but Dennis had noticed the time, and Barry had reluctantly informed Casey that they had to go; work in the morning was approaching steadily with no regard to the interesting evening they were having.

 

“Before you go…” Casey began.

 

“Yes?” Dennis asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

 

“Why did Kevin come to meet me? I’m glad to… but he seems so frail… I was surprised.”

 

Barry sighed sadly. “He is a frail thing.” His eyes grew glassy for a moment, welling with sadness. He blinked it back before continuing, “He’s been asleep for so long… but I think all of us spending time with you and being _happy_ for once got through to him. He’s been stirring, and we decided that he should get a glance at what’s been going on. Maybe next time he’ll stay longer, once he’s had a chance to mull things over. You did great, babygirl.”

 

She smiled softly at the kind man. “I hope so. Thank you for bringing him out… and thank you for coming over.” Going onto her tiptoes, she kissed him again. Although it was supposed to be a quick peck, strong arms encircled her again, and they were lost in the charged atmosphere, grasping each other.

 

“We really have to go.” Dennis announced firmly. He let go of her and stepped out the door, into the night. When she called a goodnight after him, he raised a hand, but did not turn back, knowing that he would be unable to resist the urge to go back and claim her mouth again.

 

 

 

 


	8. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey All, this chapter is a rough one. There are triggers and explicit sex in it (and I've updated the warnings, tags, and rating just to be sure). If you don't want to read the details but are still interested in reading this story going forward (this chapter is not indicative of how the rest will be - not riding the smut train very hard, sorry to say), I've included a summary of events at the end.

Chapter 8: Scars

 

Kevin found himself in the light again. He sighed, wishing that Barry and Dennis would just allow him to stay asleep, but they were being pushier than usual. They were standing behind him, around the light, trying to offer strength and also casually blocking him from just releasing and returning to his slumber as he had…the other day? The other week? He never knew how long it was; it just was never long enough.

 

Cracking his eyes open, he found that he was on a comfortable grey couch that he did not recognize, in an unfamiliar living room. A flat screen television had been mounted on the wall in front of him, and credits were rolling for a movie, with soft tinkling music. There was a lamp on an end table that was turned on beside him; otherwise, the room was dark. He turned his head and saw a bookshelf with a few books and trinkets on it to his left. The windows had shades drawn, hiding the outside, but he suspected that it was late.

 

There was warmth and a soft pressure at Kevin’s right side, and he froze when it shifted. He slowly brought his tentative gaze to the source – the girl from the last time he had been in control, Casey. She was mostly horizontal, curled up against him and tucked under his arm. She had apparently fallen asleep during whatever movie they had been watching, and a lock of hair had fallen across her face. He felt the urge to brush it aside (it must be killing Dennis to see it out of place), but resisted, afraid of waking her.

 

She looked much as she had when he had seen her last, just in a different outfit, so he assumed not much time had passed between meetings. The man studied her face for a moment, noting the way her lips had parted slightly in sleep, and the motion of eyes under her fine eyelids, the lashes long and dark on her cheeks. As he watched, her eyebrows furrowed briefly, and she stretched out one long arm to wrap it around his waist, nuzzling her face against his side without waking.

 

As she reached out, the hem of her shirt lifted, and Kevin’s mouth went dry.

 

There were scars.

 

So many scars.

 

He forced himself to take a breath, his eyes wide and inquisitive as he studied the thin, cruel lines that had become visible against her pale, taught stomach.

 

 _I know that it can hurt…_ she had whispered about the light, and hadn’t he known, hadn’t he just _felt_ that she wasn’t making it up? Here was the evidence, etched across her skin, as it had been branded into his own.

 

Kevin leaned forward slightly, reaching slowly with the hand that had been casually resting on top of her. His fingers skimmed the upraised flesh, and he felt her stir.

 

Casey’s eyes fluttered open at the tentative touch, and she froze as her mind snapped to attention, realizing that whichever personality she was with now was _touching her scars_ ; they had seen them, now everyone would know.

 

She bolted upright, throwing herself away from the warm cocoon that she had just been in, her eyes wide and full of shame as she tugged her shirt down and pulled her knees up to her chest.

 

He took this sight in calmly, sadly, and with understanding. They stared at each other for a moment before Kevin whispered, “Someone hurt you.”

 

Casey closed her eyes, forcing back the tears that had gathered. In her mind, her uncle was approaching her with one of his knives in hand.

 

_Gonna teach you some respect, Caseybear. Hold still. HOLD STILL!_

She shook her head, trying to dislodge the memory, feeling her lips tremble as the tears threatened to come forth.

 

There was a warm hand placed on her own, and she scrunched her eyes together, unable to look and see the pity that would surely be in those blue eyes.

 

“Someone hurt me, too.”

 

Her eyes opened slowly, tears welling, and there was Kevin. His hand was still on hers, but he was looking blankly at a wall, his eyes full of misery and understanding as his own demons ran in his mind.

 

_KEVIN WENDELL CRUMB! YOU MADE A MESS!_

 

He winced, and his head turned so that he was facing her. “How do you do it?” he asked her.

 

“Do what?” She croaked, miserable.

 

“Stay in the light.” He replied softly, his eyes searching hers.

 

“I… I have all of you.” She murmured, and now the tears began to fall.

 

Kevin handed the light to Dennis, his oldest protector, and Dennis reached out with strong arms, gathering her against his body. He didn’t stroke her hair or whisper small comforts; he just held her, a shelter for her to ride out her rainstorm in. She sobbed against his strong chest, grasping feebly at his shirt, shuddering and trying to banish her uncle’s grabbing hands back to the six feet of cold earth that now separated him from the sunlight.

 

When the storm had passed at last, Dennis stood, and tugged her arms so that she stood in front of him. He took a step back, giving her space, and turned on another light. “Show me.” He said simply, his voice flat.

 

She brought her glassy eyes to his steel ones, not blinking as she tugged her shirt up and off.

 

There was no gasp of horror, no hand rising to his mouth in disbelief; no shock. Dennis simply examined the woman standing before him in a manner that was nearly clinical.

 

Casey was in a simple black bra, and her scars were utterly exposed. The fine lines crisscrossing over her stomach in clusters, disappearing into the band of her jeans, and continuing up haphazardly to her bra. Dennis could only assume that they continued down her legs, and up over her breasts. There were small, circular scars that Dennis knew from his own body – the mark of a cigarette end having been extinguished against flesh. These marks pocked her flesh with a savage randomness, and were old, but had clearly been deep.

 

Her scars were a horror story written in Morse code, and Dennis read it without a grimace. He crossed his arms and looked into her face, which had gone into a blank expression of someone bracing themselves for the worst; the expression of someone who had too much practice at being let down.

 

“Will you stay?” She asked in a monotonous voice, with that guarded expression never budging from her face. Her arms hung limply by her sides; she made no attempt to cover herself now that she had bared some of her secrets. The look of defeat that cloaked her made Dennis’s jaw clench.

 

Dennis tilted his head, examining her stomach again for a moment before retorting, “Why wouldn’t we stay?” in that same flat, controlled voice.

 

A tremor ran through her frame, like a passing breeze shakes the leaves on a tree. “Because I’m broken.” she mumbled despondently. Her eyes dropped to her feet, and she waited for him to agree and leave.

 

At her soft words, Dennis took a step forward, nearly closing the distance between them. His strong hands deftly tugged at his own shirt, a dark blue Henley shirt that Barry had selected earlier in the evening, and pulled it over his head. He folded it carefully and placed it on the couch, then turned to her, placing his hands behind his back as if in handcuffs. His stormy blue eyes were unreadable as he squared his shoulders and let her look at him.

 

His chest swirled with long, thin scars that looked like they had been done by something jagged and merciless. There were cigarette burns, mirrors of the ones that stippled Casey’s skin. After giving her a few moments to look, Dennis turned around, and revealed that his back was a roadmap of pain. A moment later, he turned back to her.

 

“The broken are the more evolved.” He informed her implacably.

 

Casey stepped forward and reached out tentatively. When her small, cool hand ghosted against the puckered scars on Dennis’s stomach, he inhaled sharply. He closed his eyes, gathered himself, and opened them again, meeting her brown eyes as he reached out with a steady hand, his finger tips finding her scars.

 

“I haven’t seen these on Jade.” Casey whispered, unable to stop tracing her fingers over his hot flesh as she remembered the many scandalous outfits that the woman would drape over the body that now stood before her.

 

“The others don’t have scars like these.” Dennis answered. “Kevin and I do. I tried to protect him.”

 

Her fingers continued to trace his old wounds, and he slid his hands around her waist, tangling one into her hair as he pulled her against his chest, her soft skin feeling cool against the heat that radiated from him. He brought his lips to hers, and kissed her deeply, reveling in the feeling of her bare skin against his.

 

Casey wrapped her arms around his neck, tracing the scars on his shoulders and kissing him almost frantically.  He hadn’t run out when he saw; he had stayed, and she wasn’t alone, wasn’t the only person who had hurt.

 

She wasn’t alone.

 

Pressed against him as tightly as she was, she could feel his growing want pressing against her hip, and it didn’t make her recoil as she had expected herself to do. Casey pulled her hands to his chest, exploring the scars there, her lips never leaving his.

 

Dennis was the one to pull back and put himself back in check. “Barry.” he nearly growled, his voice husky.

 

Now Barry stood before her, and she watched in amazement as the scars that had covered his skin began to fade until they were ghosts; nearly impossible to see unless you were looking for them. He ran his hands up and down her arms, and pulled her against him again, kissing the top of her head. “Who did this, doll?” he asked into her hair.

 

His question quenched the fire that had been growing low in her stomach immediately. She hugged herself against him, not wanting to answer, suddenly wishing that she had a shirt on and that this was just over already.

 

Barry put a finger under her chin and turned her pale face to his. “We’re not going anywhere, Case.” He brushed a small kiss to her lips, then slowly crouched before her, so that his face was even with her  navel. “You,” he began, pressing a kiss to a nearby cigarette burn, “are” now kissing a cluster of lines next to her belly button, “so” another burn received a small kiss, “ _beautiful._ ” This last was said with reverence as his warm lips met a particularly scraggly line. He leaned his head on her stomach, looking out at her living room but not seeing it.

 

She curled her arms around him, borrowing his strength and warmth. “My uncle used to hurt me.” She whispered. At the sound of her voice, he turned his head up to her, listening intently. “When… when I didn’t… didn’t do what he… wanted… he would… w-would…” Her eyes squeezed shut, and

 

_There was her uncle, pinning her under his bulk, both of her small wrists held in one giant, meaty paw, whiskey and smoke on his breath. She writhed like a fish under him, and was rewarded with a slap that left her right ear ringing. His eyes narrowed, and he plucked the cigarette that had been clamped between his teeth from his mouth. “You know better, Caseybear.” he slurred, bringing the tip of the lit cigarette down on her stomach. A cruel smile twisted his lips, his eyes flashing with malevolent pride at the cry of pain that was wrenched from her throat. He’d already ripped two shirts from her, and now his hand fumbled at the top of her pants…_

Casey wasn’t aware that she had started shaking until she felt a warm hand stroking the side of her face gently with the pad of one thumb. She opened her eyes and there was Barry, once more standing. He leaned forward and kissed her steadily. “He’s not here, hon. I am. _We_ are.” He blinked rapidly and she saw that there were tears in his eyes. “We knew you were special, the minute Hedwig talked to you we knew.”

 

She sniffled. “Dennis knew that I was hiding something.”

 

He winced. “He kinda… cuts to the chase with people. I figured you’d tell us whatever it was when you were ready. Dennis doesn’t have patience if he thinks that it might be something that could hurt Kevin.”

 

_Something that could hurt Kevin._

“I…I need to talk to him again, please, Barry.” She said. She sat down on the couch, perched near the edge, and Barry sat next to her. Casey cupped his face with both hands and gave him a kiss, pouring her aching heart into it. His hands covered hers.

 

“What’s wrong, Casey?” Barry asked, concern pouring into his features.

 

Shaking her head firmly, she bit her lip. “Please, Barry. It’ll be easier for me to tell Dennis… and he’ll want to be the one in control for this anyways.” _If he decides that it’s not safe for Kevin, Dennis will be the one strong enough to leave,_ she thought, and this must’ve been in her eyes, because Barry nodded, kissed her forehead, and passed the light to Dennis.

 

Dennis straightened up, squaring his scar covered shoulders. He pulled her hands down from his face. “Yes?” he asked her, waiting.

 

“I want to tell you the rest… and… and it might make you leave.”

 

He regarded her calmly, crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest. There were scars on his upper arms, she noted. He really was just _covered_ in pain. He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting again. Good, she appreciated the lack of dramatics.

 

Casey only had it in her to tell this once, and she knew that Dennis would let her talk.

 

“My dad died when I was really little. He… he never knew what his brother had started doing to me, and he died before I got old enough to know that it was _wrong_. When he died… I was sent to live with my uncle.” She swallowed hard. “Once I was there… I was his.”

 

A brief look of anger flitted across Dennis’s face, but he forced it back to its calmly blank canvas appearance. He did not interrupt.

 

“He… did whatever he wanted to me. Made me… touch him. And he would touch me.” Her gorge rose at the memory, but she forced herself to continue. “When I got a little older... when I got my period… he went further… he _raped_ me, and told me to be glad that I was a woman now.” This came out in a hiss of acid. “If I tried to fight, he hit me. If I kept trying… he’d cut me. Or burn me.”

 

Dennis remained immobile, letting her words take root in his brain, and in his heart. Judging from what he could see, she had tried to fight a lot.

 

“Whenever he wanted, he just… took me. He was so much bigger than I was… he hurt me so much… I couldn’t _stop_ it.” Her voice rose as she recounted her past, frustration raising it half an octave. “He was so… so fucking charming too… No one believed me. He told me how ugly my scars were because they showed what a _bad girl_ I was, and I was too… too brainwashed by him to really show them to anyone. No one noticed. If anyone did, no one _cared_. He could talk his way out of _anything._ ”

 

A tear spilled onto her cheek, and she wiped it away angrily, not wanted to waste more tears over the monster that lurked in her nightmares.

 

“The only thing that I was more afraid of than him was foster care, which was _so stupid_ , but I guess I figured it was better with the devil you knew. I got in trouble at school, a lot, on purpose, so that I wouldn’t have to go home right away. I tried to run away, but someone always found me and made me go back. Because I spent so much time trying to hide in the moment, I fucked up my grades… no scholarship to get me away… not that he would’ve let me go.”

 

Her brown eyes met his guarded blue ones. “I had no one, Dennis. No friends, no other family. I graduated high school alone… and then I had to go home to… h-him. And he was always there… always ready… always wanted… he always _took_ from me. I went to a doctor, to get… to get an IUD… an implanted thing… because I was afraid… I didn’t want… Couldn’t handle the thought of what could happen, and those last for years… The doctor didn’t ask about my scars. No one cared.”

 

She took a deep breath before plowing on. “He hurt himself at work, finally. He did odd construction jobs… and he hurt his back. He hurt it so badly that he could barely get it up to _fuck_ me, but he still tried. And he still was so strong…” Another deep breath. No turning back now. “He slapped me for not getting him his beer fast enough, and I hit the wall, and my head… I stood there, looking at the blood on my fingers from him hitting me again… and I saw the years stretching out in front of me, with him.

 

“So I got him another beer, and one of his back pills. They were hydros or oxy or something… something strong. They made him fuzzy. He took the pill and washed back the beer, watching football… and when he started to fall asleep… I changed the channel to a different game, and woke him up… gave him another beer, and _two_ more pills… and he took them…. And I gave him another… and another…. And another…”

 

In her mind, _he was slumped in his easy chair in front of the television, drooling and blinking at her stupidly, his hand groping for the next beer bottle, taking the small pills from her hands and just barely managing to swallow them down._ _Casey waited for him to snore, then she shook his shoulder, mutely holding out two more pills, watching with fascinated horror as he took them, and now half the bottle was gone…_

“He… started to foam at the mouth… he vomited and was choking on it… and I almost went to him… to try to take it back… but… I saw the spot on the wall, where I’d hit earlier… there was still blood on it…and there were so many other spots in the house…. The table he’d bent me over… the stairs he’d dragged me up by my hair… his… h-his bedroom… I saw them all and I saw me in all of those spots, like a ghost… so I turned around, and left him there, ch-choking and sputtering… I went into my room and put in a CD… I made myself listen to the whole thing before I went back out… and it was over. Every time I hear anything by Pink Floyd, I think ‘that’s what was playing when I killed my uncle.’ “

 

Casey was shaking, and her eyes had taken on a glassy look as the horror from her memories filled her. “They came and took him away, and it was an ‘accidental overdose’, and I got away. I sold everything... I moved… I got a job and made friends… and then… I met you. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, ever… but you deserve to know. And you have to keep Kevin safe…”

 

Dennis finally moved, and it was to reach out to her, not to stand up and leave. He put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her directly in the eye. “You didn’t have anyone to protect you, so you did what you had to do.”

 

Her eyes widened. “You… You’ve got to go. Kevin can’t be around a… a used up murderer.”

 

His grip tightened on her shoulders, and his jaw tightened. “You’re not _used up_ , Casey. You survived. Like I said… the broken are the more evolved. Look at you… you’re beautiful and strong. And apparently you can keep a secret.”

 

“But… what about Kevin…?” She asked, not quite believing that Dennis would allow them to stay with her, but the smallest tendrils of hope had started to take root in her chest.

 

“I wanted to kill his mother for all of the pain… for the hot irons, the cigarettes, the coat hangers; for all of the ways she marked his body and how she screamed at this poor, scared boy when she was supposed to love him. She hurt him so badly that just breaking his skin and his bones weren’t enough; she had to break his _mind_ , and I wanted to punish her for it.” He whispered vehemently, barely controlled rage making his voice tremble.

 

“Why didn’t you?” Casey asked, her mind filling with images of a pale little boy with big blue eyes weeping in a corner.

 

“Because… despite everything… Kevin loved his mother. So I couldn’t.” He spat this, disgusted. “I thought about asking… someone else to.”

 

“Hiring someone?”

 

“No. I nearly asked the Beast to take care of her for us.”

 

Casey looked at him in confusion. “The Beast?”

 

Dennis shifted uncomfortably. “The others… they don’t believe that The Beast is in here,” he tapped his temple lightly, “but Patricia and I know that he is. Barry thinks that we made him up to keep the others in line… but _I’ve seen him_. They ridicule us for our belief.”

 

This was unfamiliar territory for Casey. Dennis’s eyes shown with something that worried her more than the rage that had been directed towards Kevin’s mother, a kind of fevered belief. “What… what does The Beast look like?”

 

“He’s bigger than me… with skin like a rhinoceros, claws, and long hair. The Beast is for protecting Kevin when I can’t.” He paused, thinking. “I wanted to call him, but Kevin’s mother died before I did. Barry found Dr. Fletcher, and she’s been helping us to have a nearly normal life, so we didn’t need The Beast.”

 

Nodding, Casey’s eyes traced Dennis’s scars again. So many scars. “I think you’re strong enough to keep Kevin safe, Dennis.”

 

“I’d offer to keep you safe, but you seem to be able to take care of yourself.” He murmured, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Dennis looked proud of her.

 

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “Can I keep seeing you guys?” Casey asked quietly.

 

“If you want to.” Dennis replied simply, raising an eyebrow.

 

“You don’t… think that I’m… disgusting? Or dangerous? Because of what I did? And what _he_ did to me?” It was out there now, and Casey struggled to keep eye contact.

 

Barry slid smoothly into the light now, and he gathered Casey into his arms, pulling her onto his lap, and covering her face with kisses, making her smile despite herself. “Doll, you’re _beautiful_ , and none of us could think you’re disgusting; we think you’re so strong.”

 

“But you can’t want me… not after… not now that you know…” Her face fell so that her hair hid it, and her cheeks burned with shame.

 

“Casey, I… Dennis and I… want you. _Whenever_ you’re ready for that… We are ready. But it’s your call, babe. We don’t have to--”

 

She cut him off by bringing her mouth to his, kissing him fiercely. His hands ran over her back and tangled into her hair again, in that way that made her heart pound. “Show me… show me how people who aren’t just trying to hurt each other do… _that_ …”

 

Standing, Dennis held her in his arms, and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He laid her on her bed carefully before stretching out beside her, kissing her languidly.

 

“Are you sure about this, Case? We can wait. There’s no rush.” Barry assured her, pausing his fountain of kisses.

 

Blushing but determined, she nodded, and sat up. She unclasped her bra and threw it into the hamper. Sitting there, exposed, she reached for his hands and placed them on her skin. She was excited and nervous, afraid of going too fast and rushing things. She’d never imagined that she would _want_ to give herself to someone, and that someone could see her scars and still want her. “I want to… while I’m brave enough.”

 

Barry slowed her down, taking his time to touch every inch of her exposed skin, pressing his lips against every scar that he found, as if he could kiss them all better, kiss the pain away. He took one rosy nipple into his mouth and sucked, making her gasp and arch her back. Casey reached for the growing bulge in his pants, but he laced his fingers through hers and gently tugged her hand away, placing it instead on his side. He released her nipple and devoted his attention to the other, until both were taught with arousal.

 

Dennis brought his lips to hers again, kissing her firmly, his tongue darting into her mouth. Pulling back, his molten blue eyes holding hers, he glanced at her pants and quirked an eyebrow at her, wanting permission to continue.

 

Casey fumbled with the button and zipper of her jeans, undoing them under Dennis’s watchful gaze. She lifted her hips to tug her pants off, and he placed his large hands over hers, taking over. He slowly drew her pants down her long legs, leaving her in just her black panties as he folded the pants carefully and placed them on the nearby dresser. He sat there, shirtless, his erection straining against his slacks, drinking in the site of lying on her blue bedspread, her dark hair fanned out around her head like a halo. Her eyes were heavy with want as she reached for him, and he enveloped her with his body, kissing her thoroughly as he drew a hand down over her breasts, her stomach, to the top of her panties. He could feel the heat radiating from the juncture of her thighs, and she timidly spread her legs for him as he cupped her heat with his hand, separated by the cloth and a thin layer of his own self control.

 

“Yes...” she whispered in his ear, and he gently hooked his fingers into the waistband of her underwear, pulling those off too, revealing her fully to him. He gently spread her legs and ran his finger along the velvety warmth of her, gently caressing her clitoris before dipping a finger into her wetness. Casey moaned into his mouth as he did, arching her hips to meet him, feeling how her body responded so positively to his touch, inside and out.

 

He slowly pumped his finger into her, feeling her muscles adjusting and relaxing around him before he added another finger, carefully sliding it in to join the other, noting her intake of breath and the way her eyes fluttered shut with pleasure. Dennis ran his thumb over her sensitive cluster of nerves and she gasped as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her, curling them within her to touch a spot of pleasure she hadn’t realized she had. This was done almost frustratingly slowly; he took his time building her pleasure, relaxing her, drawing her focus to his touches and letting everything else fall away.

 

When her body had been coaxed into being a collection of nerve endings, reeling in pleasure brought from his hand in her, his mouth on her neck, gently nipping and licking at her, Barry whispered, in a husky voice, “Now?”

 

She nodded, trembling with anticipation as he deftly undid his slacks one handed, his other hand never leaving her, and slid everything off of himself, joining her in nudity. Barry slid his fingers in and out of her once more before finally pulling them completely away, and she mourned their loss. He scissored his body gently between her legs, and she could feel the gentle brush of his length resting near her entrance, waiting for her to accept him.

 

Brown eyes met blue eyes, and Casey looped her arms around his back, pulling him down against her, his lips meeting hers again. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and she eased him into her body as she raised her hips to meet his.

 

A brief stretching feeling as her body accommodated his pulsing length, and he was inside of her, filling her perfectly, fitting like a puzzle piece. He kissed her and a moaned gently into her mouth as he slowly pulled himself nearly out of her before pushing back in to meet her again. She kissed him back, lost in the feeling of him, her entire body feeling electric as every inch of him slid into her.

 

Dennis slowly increased their pace, drawing out this moment of pleasure as long as he could while Barry claimed her mouth, kissing her deeply. Her legs locked around their waist, her fingers scrabbling over his back as she began to lose herself. Sensing that she was nearing the edge, Dennis began thrusting firmly into her, sending her spiraling with pleasure after only a few more. Feeling her muscles spasming around him, he managed a few more thrusts before he followed her over the edge, spilling himself deep within her as he did.

 

They lay there, shivering with aftershocks of pleasure, still joined at their hips, kissing softly. She looked at him with heavily lidded eyes, high points of color on her cheeks from their exertions. Barry kissed each eyelid and her forehead as Dennis picked her up, holding her still connected to him as he took them to the shower. Lathering her gently floral soap, he slid out of her at last and washed both of their bodies, gently cleaning away the sweat and tears.

 

When he was satisfied that they were clean, Dennis reached for one of the fluffy purple towels hanging nearby, and Barry wrapped it around Casey’s shoulders, drying her with care. When she was dry, she took the towel and ran it over her lover’s body, showing the same attention to detail and care that he had displayed for her.

 

Both dry and warm, Casey took his hand and led him back to the bedroom, where they climbed beneath her soft blue covers and held each other as sleep took them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, for anyone who didn't want the nitty-gritty, here is a summary of what happened:
> 
> Kevin finds himself in the light with Casey snoozing against him on her couch. She shifts, and her shirt lifts, revealing scars that Kevin and his alters had previously not seen. Dennis is handed the light, and she shows him the scars on her torso. Casey asks him if they'll stay with her despite her being "broken"; Dennis removes his shirt in response to show all of his scars (which only he has; they fade when another alter takes over) and replies that "the broken are the more evolved."
> 
> Barry takes over to comfort her in his tender Barry way (kissing her scars while assuring her that she is beautiful) and tries to get her to tell him about them. Casey tells him, through rising tears, that it was her uncle, and mentions that Dennis knew she was hiding something. Barry tells her that Dennis is always forward if he's worried that whatever is being hidden could hurt Kevin. Casey asks to speak to Dennis.
> 
> She tells Dennis the rest of her story, choosing to tell him over Barry because Dennis would be strong enough to leave if he has to keep Kevin safe. Her story?
> 
> Casey killed her uncle. Years of abuse and being alone with him after high school culminated in her purposely giving him too many pain pills, one at a time, prompting an over dose. He died, and she was free with her secret to change her life (get a job, get friends, move to her own safe place). She never planned to tell anyone, but that was before Barry, Dennis, Kevin, et all.
> 
> Barry and Dennis assure her that they will stay - Dennis mentions the Beast. Dennis wanted to have the Beast destroy Kevin's abusive mother, but she died before he could call on it. 
> 
> Casey asks them to show her how people who care about each other have sex, not just trying to hurt one another, and they take her to bed. Cue steamy sex scene.
> 
> Everyone washes up, and goes to bed.
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter was sort of a band-aide that I had to yank off to start really getting us where things are going. I hope that I haven't put anyone off with the shift from T+ to M, and I'm sorry if I have. As ever, I appreciate all of your attentions and feedbacks - thank you all for reading so far - hope to see you next chapter!


	9. Beliefs

Chapter 9: Beliefs

 

Sunlight filtered in between the blinds covering Casey’s window, slowly rousing her. She was warm and comfortable in her bed, but alone. She blinked and turned her head, looking around, wondering where the man who had taken her to bed had gone to.

 

With a small clatter, the door opening to her bathroom opened, and Jade walked in, clad in a pale purple robe that was entirely too short for her. She saw that Casey was awake and grinned at her. “Morning, Case! Hope ya don’t mind; helped myself to a robe. I think it about covers the goods… not that it’d be your first time seeing them, hmm?” She winked, and Casey felt her face going red.

 

“What time is it?” Casey asked, in a voice thick with sleep, pulling her blanket up to her chin for modesty’s sake.

 

“Bit after nine. Got anything for breakfast? I’m starving… Guessing you guys got a good fuckin’ workout. Literally.”

 

“Jade!” the younger woman yelped, embarrassed. “Gimme a sec to wake up…” She looked around and realized that her clothes from yesterday had disappeared, along with the outfit that Barry had dressed in. “…where are our clothes?”

 

Jade rolled her eyes. “Pfft, those were decidedly dirty. According to Dennis they were, at least; I didn’t think they reeked _too_ much of sex.  I chucked them in your washer so we could put them on clean and ease his Mr. Clean freakout a bit.”

 

“Okay, gotcha. I’ve got some sweat pants that’ll fit you. Don’t get too excited; they’re men’s sweats. They were on sale and looked cozy so I treated myself.” She sat up, noting the somehow pleasant soreness that accompanied her movements.  “Turn around.” Casey instructed, twirling a finger.

 

Rolling her eyes again, Jade made an exasperated sound and planted her hands on her hips as she turned away from Casey. “Oh my god, girl, it’s not like I was going to watch. You’re on the Barry and Dennis channel; I prefer my eye candy to be taller and lean. Also in possession of a dick, thank you very much.”

 

Casey, having slipped out of bed with a blanket pulled around her body, paused while rummaging through her drawers. “What happens if you want to see someone? Like… like romantically?”

 

Her friend half turned her face in her direction, but did not fully look at her, respectful of Casey’s self-consciousness. “Eh, I don’t really see that happening. Barry and Dennis are taking all the romance and fucking vibes. I’ll enjoy looking, but I’m not particularly inclined to touch.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, whoopdee-fucking-do. Are you decent yet? You dress slower than Hedwig when he has a doctor’s appointment.”

 

“Mhmm… here, catch.” Casey was in an old pair of green and black pajama pants, and a grey tank top, and she tossed a pair of blue sweatpants and an oversized tee to Jade, who caught it deftly and immediately stepped into the pants (Casey blushed and looked determinedly at the ceiling during this). The woman sighed after she had donned the shirt, frowning at how conservatively she was now dressed, and began to tie the plain grey shirt into a knot at her back, making it tighter and short enough to reveal her belly button.

 

“Much better. Thanks for trying to make me look like a prude. Now… breakfast?” Jade asked.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Jade stayed with Casey through breakfast, trying to get details about the previous night and failing. After a few attempts were firmly blocked, she gave up, preferring instead to share some gossip about coworkers from the zoo. Casey was clearing the table and half listening to a story about an intern who went into the wrong set of cages and found himself face-to-face with a southern white rhinoceros, when the story stopped, and silence filled the room.

 

Turning back to the table to see who had replaced the chatty alter, Casey smiled. The new alter at the table was frowning slightly with one eyebrow raised, tugging out the knot to let the shirt fall to its normal length, hiding the scars that had been momentarily visible on his stomach. Once the shirt was down, Dennis sighed, and crossed his arms.

 

“Hey.” Casey greeted him softly. His bright blue eyes met hers, and he gave a small nod in return. Standing up, he joined her at the sink, examining her work. Wordlessly, she handed him the sponge and the plate that had been in her hand, and he took it, relaxing slightly at the opportunity to clean to his own high standards.

 

Snagging a towel, she took over drying duty. The couple worked at the sink in a comfortable silence, movements in tune with each other’s; a dance of cleanliness ensuing. Soon enough, the task was done, and Dennis carefully dried his hands before turning to face her.  “How are you?” He inquired, a touch awkwardly. Sharing feelings was not his strong point.

 

Blushing, she replied, “Fine. You?” There was a half smile playing at her lips as her big brown eyes twinkled at him.

 

He ran a hand over his head. “Fine. I, uh, meant…how are you with everything… from yesterday.”

 

“I’m okay, Dennis. Really. Thanks for checking though… I…” she took a fortifying breath. “I liked last night. And I feel like a boulder rolled off of me, telling you about… about _him_.”

 

He nodded, hesitated, then reached out for her, placing his strong hands on her hips and leaning down to rest his forehead against hers, eyes closed.

 

They stood like that, basking in each other’s company.

 

Dennis gently placed a kiss against her lips, holding her with his controlled strength, before Barry slid into the light, pulling her closer and cupping a hand at the base of her skull, deepening the kiss. He pulled away and smiled and her. “Morning, babygirl. Have any of us told you that you’re amazing, yet? Because you’re amazing.”

 

He laughed at her blush and kissed her forehead, slinging a congenial arm around her shoulders and leading her to the small laundry room after glancing on the watch that resided on the inside of  his right wrist. “I should probably start getting ready… Dr. Fletcher called this morning while you were still in dreamland. Looks like we’re getting a visitor in our session this afternoon.”

 

“A visitor?” Casey asked, confused.

 

“Yeah, some other doctor, Dr. Stipple or something. I guess she asked if she could sit in, and I figured, why not? Worst case, she’s someone else on a long list of people who just think that we’re nuts.” He paused to kiss her quickly, seeing how her face fell at the idea. “Best case, another person believes us.”

 

Barry released her and began rummaging through her drier, muttering, “ _No,_ Dennis, I will _not_ be ironing these clothes before the appointment.” under his breath. He gathered everything and folded it over one arm. Turning to look at her, he tilted his head and smiled his charming smile, the one that warmed her heart whenever he turned it on her.  “Hey, doll.” He walked back towards the doorway, pausing only to give her a lingering kiss.

 

“Dr. Fletcher is okay with you having another doctor there?” Casey asked. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something struck her as off. The doctor had always struck her as very self sufficient, and it was Casey’s impression that the elder woman preferred to take things into her own hands.

 

Shrugging, Barry answered, “She was the one who called and asked, so she must be okay with it. Besides, we don’t mind, really.” He ducked into the living room, sitting on the couch, and patting the cushion beside him, inviting her to join him. When she was seated, he reached out, intertwining his fingers with hers, turned slightly so that his knees brushed hers. “Case, I know you told Dennis, but I want to hear it, too: are you okay, with everything from yesterday?”

 

The look of concern on his face was almost too much to take. She pulled his hands up to her mouth, placing a small kiss on his knuckles, before looking him full in the face. “ _Yes_ , Barry. I’m okay, really. I feel… better. Not so alone.” Her eyes slid away from his, and she scooted closer to him on the couch, tucking her head under his chin as he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. She was distantly enjoying the sensation of his fingers running through her hair as she continued, “I was so unhappy for so long… and after… and after it was done… I could be happy. And I thought I was happy, until I met you… now I _know_ that I’m happy. You all make me so happy. And last night…” she was glad he couldn’t see the blush that was making her cheeks grow hot. “Last night was wonderful. I’ve never felt like that. I didn’t think that I ever _would_ feel like that.”

 

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We think it was wonderful too. We just needed to be sure that you were okay, that things hadn’t gone too fast. You mean the world to us, Casey Cooke.”

 

Barry rested one of his hands against her face, gently turning it up to his, and kissed her deeply, pouring his affection into her. When their kiss broke, he graced her with another smile before standing and going upstairs to change.

 

Casey’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, finding a text from Marcia.

 

<Lunch with me n Claire?>

 

<Sure – Kevin’s about to leave, so I’m free.> Casey typed back, hitting send before realizing what she had typed. She had a moment to panic before the response came back, lightning fast.

 

<DID HE SPEND THE NIGHT?!?1?!?!>

 

Sighing, Casey resigned herself to a long lunch with the girls. She walked upstairs with leaden feet, finding that Barry was in the bathroom, and began to pick out an outfit, wondering how many details her friends would want, and knowing the answer was simple: all of them.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Waiting outside of the handsome wooden door that was the entrance to Dr. Fletcher’s office, Barry shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling like he was vibrating from energy. It was hard to stop smiling; he felt so _happy_. Always trying to be the upbeat alter who was quick to smile, he rarely actually felt as happy as he acted. Usually he was trying to stay positive to balance Kevin’s deep depression, but today, he thought he might actually be floating.

 

The door opened, and he was greeted by Dr. Fletcher. She gave him a quick look – not her traditional maternal warm smile, but a different look. It was alook that caught Dennis’s attention, and put the stern alter on alert.

 

_Something isn’t right._ Dennis intoned gruffly from deep in Barry’s head.

 

Barry felt his smile become a little more fixed, some of the ease from earlier fading. “Hey, Dr. Fletcher… How’s it going?” he asked, studying her with his wide blue eyes.

 

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a prim voice chiming in from behind her. “Karen, is that our special guest?”

 

Dr. Fletcher’s eyes flicked to Barry’s, and that alien look – concern? warning? What _was_ that? – flitted across her features again before she opened the door wide and put a fake smile on. “Barry, please come in. Dr. Staple has been… most eager to talk to you. I told her that this would be an interesting _one_ time session.”

 

A woman was sitting in one of Dr. Fletcher’s chairs; not young, but not old. She was pristinely made up, with well ironed clothes and not a hair out of place. Usually a person as well put together as the newcomer was would’ve put Dennis at ease, but Barry felt him continue to pace in his mind, on high alert.

 

Upon seeing Barry, the woman smiled… but he noticed that her smile didn’t reach her eyes, which were cold and sharp. Barry sent a quick glance to his usual doctor, eyebrows raised in question, but she gave her head a small shake, her usually twinkling blue eyes now boring into his. At that moment, he would’ve given his drawing ability in exchange for the ability to read the minds of others.

 

The new woman extended a soft, cool hand, delivering a firm handshake and informing Barry, “My name is Dr. Ellie Staple. It is such a _pleasure_ to meet you… Barry, was it? I’ve heard and read just _so_ much about you.”

 

Fixing her with his most charming smile, Barry accepted her handshake before sitting in a nearby chair. “My pleasure. Can I ask why you’re so interested in joining us for a session, doctor?”

 

Her professional smile never fading, she explained in a calm, soothing voice how her research focused on people with a special type of delusion of grandeur.

 

Barry’s eyebrows shot up, and he chuckled in good-hearted amusement. “I mean, I think that we’re pretty grand, and I don’t think it’s a delusion.”

 

She returned the chuckle, but it was a practiced sound, not a genuine one. “Oh, I certainly think that you and everyone in your head are interesting, but the _most_ interesting alter, for me, is… the beast.”

 

His smile melted off of his face at that. “The beast isn’t real, Dr. Staple. That’s just a notion that Dennis and Patricia were mulling over when… when things were dark for us. Before Dr. Fletcher shifted gears.”

 

“Hmm. And you’re _certain_ that the beast isn’t real?” Dr. Staple’s eyes, previously so calculated, were shining with a maleficent light.

 

“Dr. Staple,” Dr. Fletcher broke into the conversation, her voice clipped and terse, “I’ve dedicated many hours to evaluating Kevin, Barry, and all of the others. As I’ve _already_ told you, there is no twenty-fourth personality. _If_ the beast was more than just a story devised by Kevin’s harder alters, Barry and I surely would’ve uncovered him by now.”

 

Gesturing to the framed picture that Casey had noticed on her visit to the office, the one of the humanoid form with its terrible claws upraised, Dr. Staple replied, “Hedwig seems to think that the beast is in there. That’s three who believe… and how easily does story telling come to Dennis? My understanding of him is that he is a very straightforward personality.”

 

Barry shifted uncomfortably. The truth was that Dennis had never exhibited much of an imagination before he had started talking about the beast, but Barry wasn’t going to admit that to this new doctor. This was deeply uncomfortable territory for him; there had been talk of banning Patricia and Dennis from the light as their belief had started to tilt towards fervor, but Dr. Fletcher had quashed that idea. She felt that they all deserved their time in the sun, and trying to bury parts of Kevin’s psyche would have terrible consequences.

 

Dr. Staple’s eyes twinkled with something close to malice as she observed Barry’s discomfort, as if she could read the thoughts flickering behind the blue windows that were his eyes. The polite smile twisted itself onto her lips again, and she asked, “Perhaps I could speak to Dennis?”

 

“Nah, I think I’ve got this one under control, doc.” Barry replied, forcing himself to sound upbeat. “C’mon, you’ve got to have other questions for us.”

 

She didn’t answer, merely sat there, watching him, until he rolled his eyes and relented. “Fine, I’ll give the light to Dennis… but do me a favor: try not to get him too riled up on this whole… beast thing. It took a while for Dr. Fletcher and I to get him to calm down with that, and I don’t want beast-talk to bother Casey.”

 

“Casey?” Dr. Staple asked, looking blank.

 

“Our girlfriend.” Barry replied, a touch defensively.

 

“Hmm. I didn’t think that someone with your… condition… had much success in relationships.” She paused, pursing her lips as some unknown thoughts echoed around her mind, then continued, “Regardless, you were going to give the light to Dennis.”

 

Dennis took the light, squaring his shoulders, his posture becoming rigid as he crossed his arms and lifted his characteristic eyebrow. “Why are you asking questions about the beast?” he inquired, his voice flat.

 

“Hello, Dennis. It’s a _pleasure_ to meet you.” Dr. Staple purred. “I just wanted to know about your belief in this superhuman alter. Please, tell me what you know about him.”

 

His eyes flicked to Dr. Fletcher, then settled back on Dr. Staple. “I’m sure that Dr. Fletcher has told you everything that I’ve said on the matter.”

 

“Perhaps, but I _long_ to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were. Please, Dennis, indulge my curiosity.”

 

Meeting Dennis’s eyes, Dr. Fletcher haltingly offered her encouragement. “Go ahead, Dennis. Share your beliefs with the doctor.”

 

Frowning and running a hand over his head, nervous about the subject that was decidedly taboo among the others in his head, Dennis sighed. “He’s much bigger than I am, and I’m the biggest of all of us. He’s tall, very muscular, with a long mane of hair, and his fingers are twice the length of ours. He believes that we don’t represent a _mistake_ but instead our potential to become something _extraordinary_. Because that’s what he is… he’s extraordinary, with skin that bullets and knives can’t pierce, the strength of a gorilla, and the ability to scale even the sheerest surface. Just extraordinary. He protects us, and is the next step of evolution, because the broken are the more evolved.”

 

He was breathing harder as he finished this speech, which had started out flat and tentative, but had picked up speed until it gushed out of his mouth like a blessing. Dennis stared blankly past the doctors, lost in his own head. Dr. Staple contemplated him, the things he had told her, and the conviction that he showed.

 

“Dennis,” Dr. Fletcher began tentatively, “you know that he’s not real. You’ve never met him; as you told me, the beast ‘lives in the train yard’, not in the circle of chairs where the rest of you reside. That’s because he isn’t there. He _isn’t real.”_

“But, Dr. Fletcher… that’s not true.” Dennis stated.

 

“What isn’t true?”

 

“I _have_ met him. He just hasn’t been needed, so he hasn’t fully emerged. _He is real._ ”

 

Dr. Staple gasped. “Can he come out to talk to m--”

 

Dr. Fletcher cut her off abruptly. “Dennis…” she slowly offered, “that can’t be. No one else has seen him.”

 

“It’s true that the others haven’t seen him yet. Even Patricia hasn’t yet, but she will, soon. The others don’t _believe_ , so he’s not wasting his time on them. I found him.”

 

Trying again, Dr. Staple entreated Dennis, “Can we speak with him?”

 

Dennis shook his head, his cold eyes locking on her cold eyes. “No, he’s not needed. So he won’t come forward. He doesn’t come when people snap their fingers, doctor. He’s stronger than any of us.”

 

“But, if he’s real, we have to examine him, to see the extent of his powers.” Dr. Staple insisted.

 

“Enough!” Dr. Fletcher cried out, making Dennis and Dr. Staple jump. “Really, doctor, that is _enough_. You’ve _forced yourself_ into my office, you’ve _met_ my patient, and that. Is. IT! I’ve suffered your presence long enough.”

 

Dr. Staple sent her a look that would have frozen a lesser woman in her tracks before turning back to Dennis. “Don’t you see? What hope does Kevin have for a normal life if something like the beast is lurking in his mind, _polluting_ his humanity?”

 

Dennis froze, staring at her in shock. “The… the beast protects him.”

 

“No, Dennis, _you_ protect him. The beast? He’s just another curtain to hide behind.” Dr. Staple insisted, her voice low and excited. The first genuine look of approval crossed her previously chilled features, and she shook her head slowly as she smiled at Dennis. “I can help you all to live a more normal life.”

 

“Dennis, what she wants is to institutionalize Kevin and poke and prod him until you are all old and done for. She wants you to think that she has some… some magic wand to wave and fix any of your problems – she _doesn’t._ The only way that you all can live normally, or live happily, is by working on it yourselves. Think of how far you’ve come. Think of Casey!”

 

He closed his eyes, absorbing her words, trying to shake his shock at the suggestion that the beast, his idol, his own personal god, was a mistake. The stern alter had always found comfort in the idea that the beast was there, but now… what if he had been wrong? What if the beast was just a cancer on Kevin’s chances for happiness? _Polluting his humanity…_

 

“Dr. Fletcher, I think we should go.” Dennis asserted finally, trying to stop his brain from turning over his troubling thoughts.

 

She nodded. “Of course. We can meet at our regular time next week. I’m sorry that you had to deal with this, and I hope that you can forgive me.”

 

He nodded, taking her small, familiar hand in his larger, rough one. “Yes. See you next week. Goodbye, doctor.” He inclined his head to the new doctor, and then stood to take his leave, anxious to get Kevin away from the turbulent situation. The man exited, leaving the two doctors glaring daggers at each other.

 

“That was a mistake.” Dr. Staple hissed to the elder doctor, gathering her purse. “You can’t impede the wheels of progress.”

 

“Get out of my office.” Dr. Fletcher snapped, past the point of observing social niceties with a woman who had taken advantage of her professionalism.

 

Dr. Staple walked out of the office, shutting the door with a final click.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Hours later, the door to Dr. Fletcher’s office opened. It was a black night, with the moon skulking behind clouds, unwilling to watch the events that were unfurling.

 

Nearly silent footsteps padded across the hardwood, a sound that was easily lost under the hum of the central air.

 

Another door slid open, revealing the doctor asleep in her bed.

 

The glint of metal shone briefly as a silenced pistol slid from its concealed location, held by a hand encased in a black glove. Visible just beneath the cuff of the glove, a clover peaked out, unseen by anyone.

 

Two muffled shots cut through the still night air.

 

The gun withdrew, as did the person holding it.

 

Dr. Fletcher lay in her bed, oozing life into the sheets, dying quietly before she was even able to awaken fully; thinking dimly that this was a _very_ realistic dream as the world darkened and grew colder around her.

 

 

 

 


	10. We're All Struggling

Chapter 10: We’re All Struggling

 

Casey was at work, helping Marcia clean the glass for the tank containing the blue American lobster. Wrinkling her nose in distaste at another greasy face smudge (she could make out the forehead and nose print of someone about a foot shorter than her; it would be _nice_ if these kid’s guardians would keep them off the glass), she turned to grab another wad of paper towels, and froze. At the entrance, watching the pair of young women, stood Dennis, with his arms crossed and his shoulders held tense and square.

 

“Be right back.” Casey murmured to Marcia before walking quickly to him. Marcia looked up briefly from her cleaning, then paused to watch her friend, very curious about the mysterious boyfriend, but staying back for now. He looked so serious, and his face was set in such a harsh expression; it made Marcia a little nervous. If he didn’t lighten up, she’d have to chat with Casey about how stern her boyfriend seemed. She was a little glad that his intense gaze was fixed on Casey; the idea of those icy blue eyes crawling over her exposed legs made her shudder a bit internally.

 

Reaching Dennis, Casey was immediately struck by the slight red rim to his eyes. She was willing to bet that he hadn’t been crying – the idea of Dennis crying seemed absurd, somehow – but one of the other alters clearly had been. “What happened?” she breathed.

 

His eyes pierced into her, and his jaw flexed while he contemplated how to answer. He had come here because enough of the others had begged him loudly from the recesses of his mind; upon taking the light from a weeping Bernice, he had intended to stay in their apartments under the zoo, waiting until Casey’s shift had ended to talk. Dennis grudgingly admitted that just seeing her at work where she was cleaning with her friend had eased some of the tension in his chest.

 

The way her face had lit from joy to concern upon seeing him and seeing the evidence of the sadness from the other alters warmed his heart. He still wasn’t sure what they had done to earn the affections of the beautiful girl, but Dennis was glad to have her.

 

“Dennis?” Casey inquired softly, not wanting Marcia to hear the name. Aware that she was at work, she had to be professional, but she risked touching one of his forearms, hoping the contact would loosen his lips, which were pursed.

 

“Casey.” Dennis replied, his thick accent wrapping around her name like a hug. His attention hyper focused on the slight, warm touch of her fingers through the cotton of his long sleeved shirt. He sighed, uncrossed his arms, and ran an uncomfortable hand over his head. “I didn’t want to bother you at work, but the others…”

 

“Please, just tell me. You’re kinda killing me here, and if you take much longer, Marcia is going to come hook you up to a polygraph and grill you on our relationship.” She offered a small smile to him, trying to break through the cloud of tension that surrounded him like a bad aura.

 

Fixing his intense blue eyes back onto her wide brown eyes, Dennis forced himself to say aloud the words that had rocked the other alters. “Dr. Fletcher is dead.”

 

Casey gasped, automatically reaching for him, her mind suddenly full of memories of the doctor.

 

_“Casey, can you please explain to Hedwig why the lobsters are blue?”_

_Gently holding Hedwig’s hand, the older woman examined it, cooing at the nine-year-old as he sniffled, having banged it against a display while racing ahead of Casey and Dr. Fletcher, excited to see what the aquarium held for him._

_Dr. Fletcher was leaning close to the tank of the Atlantic Menhaden, smiling softly at the school of fish as they moved in unison._

_The doctor was in her office, eyes twinkling at Casey as Barry told her all of Kevin’s incredible tale, reassuring her silently with her maternal presence._

 

“D-dead?” Casey stuttered, her heart suddenly aching at the loss. Although she hadn’t known her well, she had always enjoyed the sweet woman’s company when Hedwig came to visit. Casey had seen how tenderly Dr. Fletcher had treated the boy, and she knew that this was a terrible loss for the men that she cared for. Casey was holding one of his large hands in both of her slender ones, longing to embrace him.

 

Dennis nodded, and there was a slight softening to his features. “They found her this morning; apparently Barry was on the short list of people to notify in the event of her death.”

 

“Oh, Dennis… how are you handling it? What happened?” Her eyes searched his face, but Dennis was strong. He was used to accepting the pain that the others could not, and he faced this newest wound with stolid indifference.

 

“ _I_ am okay. I’ve taken the light because the others… the others are a mess.” He stated this with a mixture of exasperation and affection; the others were the ones that were allowed to feel, and he knew that they felt this blow with every fiber. “I don’t really have details, because of the ‘on-going investigation’. It wasn’t natural causes.”

 

Casey could only imagine how heartbroken poor Hedwig must be. Caving, she pulled Dennis into a quick hug, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her small waist. Burying his face into her hair, Casey heard Barry whisper, “Thanks, doll. We needed this.” She could feel the tremors of emotion shudder through Barry’s body and knew that he was struggling not to cry.

 

The tremors ceased, and Dennis gently released her, stepping back slightly to give her a respectable amount of space while she was still on the clock. Dennis blinked Barry’s tears out of his eyes.

 

“We were wondering if you’d like to come over tonight. I know that you don’t have plans with us this evening, but…” Dennis swallowed. “But you’re the only person that we want to be around right now.”

 

Nodding, Casey reached out and rubbed a thumb over his knuckles, taking his hand once more, hoping that he would convey this support to the others. “Of course. I’m out at six; I’ll come over after I change.”

 

Now, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you, Casey.”

 

She smiled sadly back at him, her mind still replaying memories of Dr. Fletcher like a tribute video. The young woman tried not to think about how the death of a woman who was little more than a stranger had made her sadder than the death of her own flesh and blood; the death of her uncle.

 

There was the sound of someone putting something down slightly harder than necessary, as if they wanted to be heard and noticed. Casey sent a glance over her shoulder and saw that Marcia was still by the tank, watching her with a curious expression, rearranging the bottles of cleaning solution uselessly.

 

Marcia caught Casey’s eyes, sent a meaningful glance at Dennis, and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

 

“Uhm, Dennis? Do… do you want to meet my friend, Marcia?” Casey asked, suddenly nervous.

 

“Do I have to?”

 

Raising an eyebrow of her own at him, Casey answered, “…yeah, I think so. She’s been very curious about you…”

 

Lowering his voice, Dennis leaned closer to Casey, his words barely loud enough to be heard. “And what does she know about me?”

 

“That your name is Kevin, you work at the zoo, you’re my boyfriend, and you’re amazing.” She responded immediately, and beamed at the slightly embarrassed look that briefly passed over his features.

 

Closing his eyes briefly, Dennis murmured, “It would be better if she met Barry. He’s the one with social skills.” When he opened his eyes again, there was a resigned look on his face. Dennis knew as well as she did that Barry was currently a wreck, and in no condition to be meeting new people.

 

Linking her arm through his, Casey gave him a small tug, and he followed her on leaden feet like a man being led to the gallows.

 

“Hey, Marcia… this is Kevin, my boyfriend.”

 

Marcia appraised Dennis briefly with her eyes, before extending a hand to shake his. “Nice to _finally_ meet you, Kev. Casey’s been hiding you so thoroughly that I was starting to wonder if you were real, ha.” She followed this with a giggle, but continued studying Dennis.

 

He inclined his head in a small nod, with his brilliant blue eyes locking on Marcia’s dark ones. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“Casey made you sound chatty, you know?” Marcia pried. The man before her was stoic and cool, not syncing up with the vibrant charmer that her friend had been describing to her for nearly two months. “Cat got your tongue?”

 

_Try to be friendly, Dennis!_ _This is Casey’s friend._ Barry sniffled in Dennis’s mind.

 

Dennis’s lips quirked into a small smile, and he physically forced his face to relax. “Sorry, hon. It’s been a bit of a day, you know?” He rolled his eyes, heaving a theatrical sigh. “That’s why I’m here, really – after the day I’ve had, I just needed to see my girl.”

 

He wrapped an arm around a shocked Casey’s shoulder, making a show of looking around before quickly kissing her temple.

 

Marcia’s face lit up with delighted surprise at this display. This was more in line of what she had been expecting. She turned to Casey, her eyes full of warm humor, and confided, “Gee, Case, I guess I don’t even get you to myself at work anymore.”

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t say thaaaat... I guess I can share.” Dennis gave Marcia a big wink before also turning to Casey. “Doll, I should run, and let you get back to girl time here. Can I steal you for a hot minute, get your thoughts on what dinner should be?”

 

“Uh… Yeah… Kevin. Sure.” Casey stammered, still surprised by the theatrics Dennis had put on.

 

Waving goodbye to Marcia, Dennis wrapped a sultry arm around Casey’s waist and walked away with her.

 

“Nice Barry impression.” Casey finally managed, smirking at him once they were out of ear shot.

 

Dennis pinched the bridge of his nose. “You live with someone long enough, you pick up their quirks. See you when you’re out.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was Dennis that greeted her at the zoo gates a few hours later, his face set in its usual firm position, though his eyes were still red rimmed. Out of work, Casey was now free to press a hand to the side of his face, studying him. She knew that he was being strong for the others, but her heart still ached when she saw him the evidence of sadness staining his otherwise stoic features.

 

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and he leaned his face against her hand, accepting the soft comfort. Dennis stood like that for a moment before he turned his head, pressing a light kiss to her palm. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that she had a plastic bag from the nearby grocery store as well as a worn backpack, and he looked at her inquisitively.

 

“I brought all of you some stuff that I thought would be good.” Casey explained, and allowed him to take the plastic bag from her. He didn’t peer in; instead, one of the corners of his mouth lifted into the small smile that he reserved for her – a quiet expression of gratitude.

 

They walked to his apartment, side by side. “Thank you for coming.” He murmured as they passed the lions and bears.

 

“Of course; thank you for asking me to. I… I’m glad that I’m someone who can be a comfort to you… all of you.”

 

Dennis stopped then, turning to her. He pulled her close with his free hand and pressed his lips to hers, and for just a moment his hand trembled on her waist. His kiss was intense, full of all of the emotions that he never exhibited.

 

When he pulled back, he let out a long breath that was not quite steady. “You are important to us. We’ve never had anyone besides Doctor Fletcher that we could call on for support. If we didn’t have you, right now, it would just be me trying to keep us together.” The man held out a hand, and she saw the miniscule shaking. Frowning at it, he concentrated, and the shaking stopped. “We’re struggling. We’re _all_ struggling.”

 

She had never seen Dennis grapple to maintain control of anything, and it was shocking to see the emotions threatening to overflow the edges of his deep well of patience. Casey set down her backpack, and looped her arms over his broad shoulders, urging his face to the crux of her neck with one gentle hand. The other hand stroked his back.

 

For a moment, he stayed still, carved of stone. Then another small tremble passed through him, and his arms encircled her, his fingers clutching her back. There was another tremble, then he was still again. He stood there, holding her and being held, for a moment of time that spun into forever.

 

He stepped back, his face still dry, but his expression was softer. Raising his signature eyebrow, he tilted his head towards his apartment, asking without words if they could carry on. Casey picked up her bag and followed him.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was a long, sad evening.

 

Once they were safely in the apartment, Dennis let go of the light, exhausted from the effort of stemming the tide of emotions rushing from the others.

 

Barry had enveloped Casey in a hug, tears welling in his eyes as he told her the little that he knew – there had been an apparent break in during the darkest hours of the night, and the doctor had been shot in her sleep. Right now, that was all that he knew.  He took his girlfriend to his squashy couch, sitting next to her.

 

“Sorry, babygirl, I’m not gonna be able to hold onto the light for long. It’s a wonder that Dennis did for as long as he did; whenever he lets go, we start cycling.” He told her regretfully. “When we’re all this upset… it’s hard for any of us to stay in control. Too much distraction from within.” He attempted to smile at her, but the light passed out of his hands.

 

“ _Fuck_ I can’t _fucking_ believe that she’s _fucking_ dead it’s so _FUCKED!_ ” Jade wailed, Barry’s tears becoming her own and spilling down her cheek. “What the _fuck_!”

 

Before Casey could respond to her hurting friend, Luke had the light, shaking his head slowly with his face scrunched into an expression of extreme discomfort. “Aw shucks, this is worse than the end of ‘Moulin Rouge’ where Nicole Kidman’s character dies, and that was the last time I was so sad. Shoot, you’ve seen that movie, right, Casey?”

 

Casey shook her head. “No, but its okay, I think I get what happens.”

 

But she wasn’t talking to Luke anymore. Sitting primly on the edge of the couch, her ankles crossed daintily, sat Patricia. She dabbed at her eyes briefly with one long finger, her eyes turned upwards. “I do so hate to see my boys and girls upset.”

 

 

“What can I do to help?” Casey asked the woman.

 

“Hmm. It’s a difficult situation, little dove.” Patricia pursed her lips in thought. “Hedwig could use some actual comforting. We try, but we’re all just in Kevin’s head. He’s sleeping through this, thank goodness, but Hedwig…”

 

Casey nodded, and Hedwig was brought forward.

 

“CAAAASEEEY!” He howled, his face contorting with misery. He threw his arms around her and she wrapped him in a hug.

 

“It’s okay, Hedwig, it’ll be okay.” She assured him in a hushed tone, stroking his back with one hand as she reached for the bags she had brought with the other.

 

As he snuffled against her shoulder, she pulled out a pack of Oreos from the shopping bag, and, from her backpack, a very soft blanket that she had carefully folded to make fit. When she had run home after work to change before meeting with Dennis and everyone, the old blanket had caught her eye, and she had grabbed it. Now she shook it out of its folded position, and wrapped the purple softness around a quivering Hedwig’s shoulders.

 

He snuggled into it gratefully, and eyed the Oreos with eyes swimming in tears. “Can I h-have one?”

 

“Yeah, Hedwig, I brought them for all of you. I eat Oreos when I’m sad, so I thought they might make you feel better. Just be careful of crumbs, okay?” She handed him a cookie as she confided all of this to the child.

 

“Casey, why d-did she have to d… d… _diiie_?” he forced out once his treat had disappeared into his mouth.

 

“I don’t know; she was a great person, and I don’t know why she had to go.” Casey pressed a kiss to the top of his head before resting her chin lightly on him, still absently rubbing his back. “Sometimes people get taken away from us, and we can’t stop it or change it; we just have to remember the good times we had with them, and try to have more good times for both you and the person who left.”

 

“I don’t _want_ to have good times for both of us – I w-want her to b-be alive so she can take me to the aquarium, et cetera! This isn’t _f-f-fair!_ ”

 

“I know it isn’t, but we can’t have her back, Hedwig. You have Barry, Dennis, Patricia, and all the others, and you all have me, and we can get through this, okay?”

 

He nodded, grabbed a tissue, and honked into it, tears still streaming steadily down his cheeks.

 

“Would a glass of cocoa and a movie make you feel better?”

 

“Maybe a little.” Hedwig said, grudgingly.

 

“Stay here – I’ll be right back.”

 

Casey made two mugs of the cocoa that she also pulled from her shopping bag. She had become a firm believer that chocolate couldn’t fix everything, but it could certainly help you to get on the correct path. Once she set the steaming cups down on the coasters that Dennis was sure to keep on the little coffee table, she picked a movie for them to watch from the DVD selection that she had noticed on her first visit.

 

She sat through “Over The Hedge” with Hedwig curled into a ball next to her on the couch, his head in her lap. She rubbed his shoulder, and was glad to notice that he was slowly relaxing. When the movie ended, he remained motionless, his eyelids looking heavy over glassy eyes.

 

“Do you want to go to take a nap, Hedwig?” She inquired softly.

 

He made a sound that may have been an affirmation, then asked a question of his own. “Can you sing me a song? Miss Patricia usually sings to me, but I think she’s too sad today.”

 

“I don’t really know any lullabies…” Casey began, and Hedwig rolled over on the couch, turning to face her.

 

“It doesn’t have to be a lullaby, silly. Just… anything. Like a slow song, et cetera.” He was watching her intently.

 

“Okay…” She took a deep breath, trying to think of something soft and quick that she could sing to appease the child. Her brain searched, and came up with a song from a show that she had been watching sporadically on weekends with Marcia.

 

“ _High in the halls_

_Of the kings who are gone_

_Jenny would dance with her ghosts_

_The ones she had lost_

_And the ones she had found_

_And the ones who had loved her the most._

_The ones who’d been gone for so very long_

_She couldn’t remember their names;_

_They spun her around on the damp old stones_

_Spun away all her sorrow and pain_

_And she never wanted to leave_

_Never wanted to leave”_

Feeling silly, Casey trailed off, and glanced at Hedwig. He was watching her raptly. “You sing pretty, Casey.” He whispered in a reverent voice.

 

“Thanks, Hedwig. Take a nap… I’ll be here when you wake up.”

 

He turned to his side once more, snuggling against her, and soon his breathing slowed, his limbs becoming heavy with the weight of sleep.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating - I usually aim for Mondays, but this chapter came to me slowly. 
> 
> The song that Casey sang was "Jenny of Oldstones" from "Game of Thrones", and if you haven't heard it, you should check it out on youtube - I'd suggest the version sung by Pod (see it here: https://youtu.be/aFjGRoQeCZo ).
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, and for all of your feedback!


	11. Opening Up

Chapter 11: Opening Up

 

Casey drowsed awake when she felt herself being carried by strong arms. “Hmm?” She mumbled, still encumbered with sleep.

 

“You fell asleep. I’m taking you to bed.” Dennis responded simply.

 

“Hedwig fell asleep,” she managed, yawning widely, “I was just resting my eyes.”

 

“Ah.” He held her carefully in his arms, as if she weighed nothing. He reached with one hand, opening the door to his small bedroom.

 

As he lay her down on the grey coverlet of the bed, Casey was dimly aware that this was her first time being in here, though she had been to his apartment many times in the two months that they had been an item. Sleep threatened to reclaim her as she glanced around, noting that more of Hedwig’s art was framed in here, and but save for a bedside table with a small lamp on it, there didn’t appear to be much personalization in this room from any of the alters. She knew that they kept bizarre hours – one alter letting go of the light to rest while another grabbed hold; Casey had quietly marveled that the body that the personalities shared kept running as smoothly as it did.

 

Dennis brushed a stray lock of hair from her face with a tenderness that was at odds with his nearly wooden face. As he pulled back, Casey reached out and gently grasped his wrist.

 

“Stay.” She pleaded, her doe eyes imploring his large blue ones.

 

He regarded her impassively for a moment before sighing and running a hand over his head. With exact motions, he unclasped his watch and placed it on the simple bedside table, and carefully stretched out beside her; the two of them just fit onto his small, bachelor’s bed.

 

Once he was still, Casey laid her head on his chest, hearing the steady thump of his heart beneath his breast. Dennis curled an arm around her, and sleep fell upon them like a gentle rain.

 

~*~*~*~

 

A few hours later, Casey woke, still curled up in the small bed. She lifted her head to study the face of the man next to her, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was still next to Dennis.

 

Dennis had been idly staring at the ceiling as he turned his thoughts internally, checking on the others that shared this body. The initial shock and horror of Dr. Fletcher’s passing was starting to fade, and the others were starting to be able to focus again. Though the temperature around the light was still dismal, there were flickers of warmth – appreciation from the others for Casey’s kindness.

 

“I’m a little surprised to see that you still have the light.” Casey quietly admitted, once Dennis’s intense gaze had sharpened and turned to her, upon feeling her stirring. “Aren’t you tired?”

 

“Staying with you, like this, is relaxing.” He replied honestly.

 

Her face flushed with pleasure at this small offering of warmth from him.

 

He turned his gaze back to the ceiling. “It’s easier, for us, with you here. Normally, I’d be struggling to hold onto the light for a week; the others would be bursting through with emotions by the end of that time. You help us focus on moving forward.”

 

The young woman beside him pulled one of his hands to her mouth so that she could press a soft kiss to his palm before lacing her fingers through his, keeping this sentiment pressed between their hands where Dennis could feel it taking root, warmth flowing from it beneath his hardened exterior.

 

“You try so hard to take care of the others... Thanks for spending some of the time you have for yourself with me.” Casey said earnestly, watching him.

 

Grimacing, Dennis began, “Taking care of the others is what I’m here for; spending time with you is like a vacation.” He sighed, with his keen gaze flitting about the tiles, making small notes of spots that would be needing replacement in the near future. “Kevin’s mother had rather malevolent ways of punishing her son. I came into the light to protect him; the one sure way to avoid her… _attentions_ … was to keep everything perfect. Spotless.”

 

“So you clean.” Casey breathed, listening intently.

 

Blue eyes flashed to her, brow furrowed. “So I clean.”

 

“And… and if you couldn’t keep everything clean enough… or if she had a bad day…” She glanced to his clothed chest, knowing that beneath the carefully buttoned shirt and undershirt lay the results.

 

The seventeenth tile from the wall with the door, six tiles in, had warped slightly. The edge was not flush with the others. Dennis’s lips formed a small frown as he focused on it, resisting the urge to jump up and fix it _right now_. There was no need for the urgency he felt; Kevin’s mother was long dead, and no one would want to hurt Kevin over a ceiling tile. Dennis knew this. Nevertheless, his eyes kept sliding back to it, as if pulled by a magnet.

 

“The others, they came later, to help with school and the rest of his life. I’ve never been one to handle social interactions well, and that became a point of contention with Kevin’s mother.”

 

_A slap sent Kevin reeling across a spotless kitchen floor, and Dennis grabbed the light, bracing himself for the rest that was sure to come. “ ‘Kevin struggles to interact with his peers, and is withdrawn. We would like to schedule a parent-teacher conference to discuss possible courses of actions to remedy this.’” Kevin’s mother read this from a letter that had arrived in the mail. “How DARE you embarrass me like this, you little whelp!” Her hands grabbed Dennis’s shoulders, and she shook him as she continued, her words punctuated by the staccato shakes. “You. Have. Embarassed. Me. AGAIN!” Kevin wept in the dark, huddling away from the light, while Dennis stood there like a statue, taking the abuse without a wince or complaint. A few more slaps left his cheek stinging, but Dennis compartmentalized the pain, making sure it would not reach Kevin._

“So, Barry came into the light, and everyone likes Barry.” There was a slight touch of regret to his voice as he told her this. “Jade, with her mouth, she’s the part of Kevin that always wanted to talk back to people. Patricia… she’s the soft voiced mother that he never had. Hedwig is the childhood that was denied him. We all have our purposes to try to make Kevin happy and safe.”

 

“You guys are all your own people though, Dennis. And you’re _all_ incredible.”

 

The ceiling tile taunted him, edges continuing to bow out despite his stern surveying.

 

“The others, they can’t handle pain, whether it’s internal or external. That’s what I excel at.” Dennis tore his gaze from the tile, focusing on Casey instead. He mused for a moment before continuing. “You said that you’ve never seen any scars on Jade?”

 

Searching her memories, Casey shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen any. You said the others don’t have scars like we do, though, right?”

 

His eyes flicked to her stomach, remembering the atrocities that her uncle had left there vividly. “I wasn’t entirely truthful. Jade has one scar.” He pulled his torso away from Casey slightly, and used one exact finger to draw a line roughly an inch long on his side, from his eighth rib down to his ninth. It was a spot easy to cover, even with the outfits that Jade preferred.  “Kevin’s mother came home early, and saw how Jade was dressed… It happened so fast that she had already started before I could get to the light. Jade has the beginning of the scar; I have the rest of it.”

 

_Jade was sobbing in horror as Dennis shoved her from the light, taking it with both hands, gritting his teeth as the knife continued down his side. He forced himself to hold still; bucking or trying to fight would make the wound harder to tend, and would incite more repercussions. If he didn’t react, he knew that Kevin’s mother would lose interest._

 

Casey held her breath. Dennis, Barry, Jade… none of them really talked about how they had come to be a part of the extraordinary person that she had shared her dark secrets with. She knew, from the night where she had finally opened up to them about her past, that it had been Kevin’s mother to etch the scars that Dennis covered so carefully, but she had never expected to be given details like these... especially not from Dennis. He had opened up to her over the course of their relationship, but he had never been one to talk about their pasts. To have him bare secrets like this was an expression of trust that she knew was hard for him to come by.

 

“You bein’ here means a lot to us. It means a lot to me.” With that, Dennis’s lips met hers, and he pulled her closer, trying to convey all of the things he couldn’t say with this simple act.

 

When he pulled back, Casey’s heart was galloping. “Where are you going?” she asked as he sat up, straightening his shirt. He raised a hand and pointed to a tile in the ceiling that looked like the rest of them. His eyes darkened as he looked at it, but the look that he gave her was almost helpless.

 

“I have to fix that.”

 

Casey stood up, and he raised an eyebrow at her as she crouched down and tugged the bed a few inches away. Brushing an errant strand of hair from her face, she put her hands on her hips and met his gaze. “Okay, I moved that, but we really should put a dust cover down in case anything comes down when you get in there.”

 

Dennis’s expression was almost comically surprised. “ ‘We’?”

 

She fixed him with a steady gaze. “If you say it needs to be replaced… then I’m helping you.” The look on Casey’s face left no room for argument.

 

One corner of his mouth quirked up into a small smile, and Dennis nodded.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The tile had been replaced, the bed was put back into its normal location, and Casey was helping Dennis remake the bed with clean sheets. He had said some of the dust got onto it, and she hadn’t argued, just continued helping him as best as she could.

 

He paused across from her, and when she turned her eyes to his, Barry was smiling softly at her.

 

She half ran around the bed and wrapped him in a hug, his delighted laugh falling on her ears like the first birdsong after a nasty storm. “Miss me, babygirl?” He asked, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

 

Casey kissed him fervently before answering, “Yes, you know I did. How are you?”

 

His charming smile faltered for a moment, but did not dissipate entirely. “I’m better, doll. We all are. I mean, I’m sad, but I think we can get through it now.” He cupped her face with both hands as he kissed her again. “Thank you for being here.”

 

She gave a small laugh before replying, “You all can stop thanking me, really. I’m your girlfriend… and your friend… how awful would I have to be to _not_ be here when you need me?”

 

Barry leaned his forehead against hers. “You know that not everyone is as kind as you are.” Stepping back, he surveyed the bed. “It was really nice of you to work with Dennis. Cleaning is kinda… how he de-stresses. But he can’t turn it off. So you not treating him like a freak… it shows who you are, Casey.”

 

He was looking at her with a more serious look than she had ever seen from him, but she was sure that it was still Barry in the light. “I don’t think he’s a freak. Or that any of you are, for that matter.”

 

“I know. And that’s what we lo…like about you. One of the things that we like about you, at least.” Shrugging off his previously grave expression, a mischievous smile replaced it. “So, since you spent all that energy making the bed… want to mess it up?”

 

Casey’s eyebrows shot up her forehead and she laughed and squealed as Barry wrapped his arms around her again, his fingers first tickling her, then taking hold of her sides. He walked her backwards, and she fell onto the bed as the backs of her knees hit the edge, Barry following to lay beside her. Their embrace intensified as Barry’s tongue flitted into her mouth, his hands roaming her sides and back.

 

At last, their kiss broke, and both were slightly out of breath, their colors high on their cheeks. “On second thought,” Barry said casually, “this little bed isn’t really meant for two people to have fun on. We might break it.”

 

Blushing at the thought of what they could do to break the bed, and feeling slightly disappointed that they weren’t going to try, Casey’s made a face at him. “Have you broken this bed before?”

 

He laughed and kissed the crinkled skin between her brows. “No, sweetheart, we haven’t. We never really got visitors down here before you. Nothing to worry about.” The man placed a quick kiss on her lips. “I was thinking that I should cut Dennis a break, and not make a mess of anything. He’s been taking care of us all for so long… a little slack would be a good thing. And this bed really _is_ too small to mess around on.” With that he stood, pulling her back into a standing position with him.

 

“I should probably head home, if you guys are doing better?” Casey mentioned as she followed Barry back to the living room.

 

Barry nodded, smiling softly again. “We are, thanks. Dennis is getting some rest in case he has to take over, but, as you can see, we aren’t cycling through the light as badly as earlier.”

 

Casey snagged her bag and stepped up to Barry, going on her tiptoes to give him a kiss, her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. As she pulled away, a thought occurred to her. “Dennis was pretty talkative earlier.”

 

Barry’s eyes twinkled. “He was, wasn’t he? He likes you as much as I do, doll. I don’t think he’s ever had someone outside of our head to talk to – to be honest, he didn’t even talk to the doctor that much. Just enough to keep him… ah… on the straight and narrow.”

 

“What do you mean?” Casey asked, her eyes searching his.

 

Barry’s face looked momentarily grim as he carefully chose his next words. “Dennis and Patricia believe in something that the rest of us don’t, and for a while there, things were intense. We were thinking of keeping them from the light,” he saw the wide-eyed expression of shock on Casey’s face and looped an arm over her shoulders reassuringly, “but it never came to that. I don’t think we could’ve even if we wanted to – he’s a strong guy. So when we started seeing the doctor, she kinda, I dunno, _mediated_ for all of us, and those two backed off. Things got better, and kept getting better.”

 

“I’m glad you didn’t try to shut him out.”

 

“Me too, babygirl; me too.”

 

Barry escorted her to the front gates, waiting with her until her Uber arrived, since it was now full dark outside. After the car had deposited her at her house, Casey walked down her walkway, smelling the warm night air, hearing the crickets and katydids sing their nightly chorus. As the breeze ruffled her hair, she looked at the nearly full moon shining brightly above her, and wondered what it would be like to be stuck in a chair, never able to experience any of this.

 

Shuddering, she unlocked the door and let herself inside, glad that Dennis and Patricia hadn’t been locked away from the world.

 

 

 

 


	12. It Should Be Raining

Chapter 12: It Should Be Raining

 

It was a beautiful day.

 

The sun was shining, the temperature was sitting pretty around 75°F, and there were a few puffy clouds lazily drifting across the blue expanse of the sky. A warm breeze patted gently at faces of the people standing around, inviting them to enjoy the day. When Casey inhaled deeply, she could smell the freshly cut grass and the thick perfume of flowers that delicately masked the smell of wet earth.

 

Barry sat beside her, for the moment, though she felt that Dennis would be taking over soon enough. There was a drawn, tired look to Barry’s edges that made him look weary beyond his years. He leaned closer to her, since he was already at her side, with his hand firmly holding hers. “It should be raining. Why is it such a nice day?” he asked, trying to sound genial, but his voice cracked. He let out a small puff of breath, turning his blue eyes that were drowning in tears that threatened to spill across his cheeks up to the flawless sky. “It should be raining.”

 

Casey gave his hand a squeeze, and he leaned his shoulder against her as he sagged slightly. He was holding onto the light as hard as he could; she knew that he wanted to be here for this.

 

The pair sat among the other black clad mourners, next to the gaping and unforgiving rectangle that was the mouth of a grave that had been dug for Dr. Karen Fletcher. Her silver and white casket had been carefully placed on runners, with flowers arranged gingerly on top as it lay suspended above the dark eternity that waited eagerly to swallow it whole. A lovely headshot of the doctor had been placed on an easel, next to a wreath of pink and white lilies with a ribbon that declared “REST IN PEACE” in a curling script.  Elegant folding chairs had been set up graveside for the service, and Casey and Barry were seated in the front row.

 

Casey was in a simple black dress, with a black shrug carefully over her shoulders and her hair in a single plaited braid that fell down her back. When she had searched her closet for today’s outfit, she had discovered that she still had many muted colored clothing; leftovers from her dismal high school career. Barry looked elegant next to her in his black suit, one of Dennis’s grey button up shirts, and a black tie.

 

It was the day that Dr. Fletcher was being buried, and it was a beautiful day outside.

 

Trying to pull Barry’s focus from the flower shrouded coffin before him, Casey whispered, “Do you think there are others like you here?”

 

He blinked, cleared his throat to try to rid the lump that grief had put there, and glanced around. “Not many… a lot of Doctor Fletcher’s patients ended up in institutions… It’s why she worked so hard for us…” he trailed off and took a deep breath to steady himself.

 

_Let me._ Dennis’s voice, firm in his subconscious, but Barry ignored him for the moment, still holding the light. Dennis wouldn’t take it from him unless he started to fall apart.

 

Looking around, he said, “The brunette, three rows back… she was a patient. She looks like she’s stoned to the eyeballs, though. I think she took the medication route.”

 

“Medication route?” Casey inquired.

 

“It didn’t work well for us… it just made us stupid and slow; harder to use our judgment when talking to people. For her? Maybe it works. We couldn’t live like that.” Barry explained, remembering how the few days of being stoned had been a complete failure.

 

He caught a flash of blond hair as he looked around, but then the quiet non-denominational speaker stepped forward and began to talk. The little man in his black suit stood sweating slightly under the sun, speaking from beneath wispy white hair and a small, neatly groomed mustache, extolling the doctor’s work in the community.

 

When at last he was done with his niceties that had just been personalized enough to barely represent the woman lying in the box, he invited people to speak from a small list that he produced from his inner suit pocket.

 

A man got up and made his way to the front. He had a collegiate air about him; his long white hair was brushed back and tucked behind his ears, he wore large wire-rimmed glasses, and his funeral suit was immaculate. He spoke about Dr. Fletcher’s accomplishments; how she had always fought for her patients, and made them her family instead of choosing a more traditional family. He told how they would meet in the park to stroll and talk about her work. “The world has become a colder place for her loss.” The man concluded at last.

 

The wispy-haired speaker took the front of the chairs again, and his eyes sifted through the crowd. “Next, a reading from… Kevin Crumb?”

 

Barry shifted next to Casey, squaring his shoulders, and she knew that Dennis had claimed the light after all. He stood mechanically, reaching into his inner pocket, where he found his glasses. He put them on his face as he stood, square and tall, facing the dark sea of strangers. His eyes briefly found Casey before he turned them to rest at a spot in the distance, just above the heads of the seated crowd.

 

“I don’t usually do the public speaking,” he began in a largely emotionless voice, “so I hope all of you can forgive me. The doctor, Dr. Fletcher, she worked really hard to help all of us. You all must know that, if you’re here. I have a poem, from Mary Elizabeth Frye, that I think she’d have agreed with:

 

_Do not stand at my grave and weep_

_I am not there; I do not sleep._

_I am a thousand winds that blow,_

_I am the diamond glints on snow,_

_I am the sun on ripened grain,_

_I am the gentle autumn rain._

_When you awaken in the morning’s hush_

_I am the swift uplifting rush_

_Of quiet birds in circled flight._

_I am the soft stars that shine at night._

_Do not stand at my grave and cry,_

_I am not there; I did not die.”_

His recitation done, he turned briefly to look at the casket behind him, and then reclaimed his seat beside Casey. She squeezed his arm as he sat. “You did great.” She murmured to him.

 

He inclined his head to indicate that he had heard, but resumed his stony staring at the box suspended above the grave before him.

 

A few more speakers got up and spoke on the doctor’s behalf, but Casey let the words wash over her. After a bit, the man beside her removed his glasses, and gently removed his fingers from Casey’s grasp with a small smile. Casey studied the face of the person next to her before deciding that Patricia had stepped into the light.

 

The ceremony ended, and Patricia milled by the gravesite, looking at the flowers. Casey was debating how long they should remain before she should usher the woman into her car when they were approached by a blond woman that she had never met before.

 

The woman was meticulously dressed in alarmingly high heels for the soft grass beneath her feet, and a lovely black dress. Her blond hair curled loosely over her shoulders beneath a wide-brimmed black hat. Her eyes were hidden behind impenetrable black sunglasses.

 

“Barry?” She asked.

 

Patricia turned, her sharp eyes sizing up the woman. “Ah, Dr. Staple, yes? My name is Patricia. We haven’t met.”

 

Dr. Staple’s eyes widened briefly in excitement before she extended a hand clad in a black glove. “What a pleasure to meet you, Patricia.”

 

Humming in agreement, Patricia shook the new doctor’s hand.

 

“I thought that was a _lovely_ recitation that you did for Doctor Fletcher.” complimented the blond woman.

 

“That was Dennis.” Patricia replied.

 

“Of course it was. He picked out a great poem.”  


“Orwell picked it out; do try to keep up.” Patricia scolded, her eyes cool. Casey had the impression of be witnessing a game of cat-and-mouse. “I must say, Dr. Staple, that I am surprised to see you here. I was under the impression that you and Dr. Fletcher didn’t exactly get on.”

 

Dr. Staple gave a small laugh. “Oh, Patricia, surely you can understand that there are bound to be professional disagreements between colleagues. I respected our dearly departed Dr. Fletcher, and all of the work she had done and still had before here. I’m here to mourn the loss of a wonderful peer.”

 

To Casey, this explanation sounded true but rang false. There was something about this woman that put her on her guard, and she had the feeling that Patricia was in the same boat.

 

“That’s a relief.” Patricia didn’t sound relieved; she sounded suspicious. “If you’ll excuse us, doctor, my boys are hurting, and I think that it’s time for Casey and me to depart.”

 

Eyes barely flicked to Casey before Dr. Staple plowed on. “I’m sure you’ll be looking for a new doctor now – I wanted to personally offer my services. I know that Dr. Fletcher and I may not have seen eye-to-eye, but I would provide you a fresh perspective, and take good care of all of you. I’m most interested to hear your beliefs, Patricia.”

 

She extended a card, which Patricia took and tucked into her pocket without looking at. “Perhaps, dear, but for now, we must tend to ourselves. Good day.”

 

Patricia strode away, with Casey following in her wake, sending a glance back at the new woman, who watched their departure with a curiously blank face.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Given that it was still midday on a Saturday, Casey and Barry had previously decided that they would go back to her house after the funeral. It would be quieter, and Barry hadn’t wanted to deal with the crowds that would inevitably be at the zoo on such a nice day.

 

They got inside, Barry, who had resurfaced during the drive home, grabbed the bag with a change of clothes in it, excusing himself after kissing Casey quickly to go upstairs and change. The distant look in his eyes told her that the others were talking around the light, and she let him go, hoping that they were all okay.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Barry entered Casey’s bedroom, barely aware of his surroundings over the rabble in his head.

 

_I don’t want a new doctor! I WANT DOCTOR FLETCHER!_ Wailed Hedwig

 

_That woman riled up the doc worse than Spartacus riled the Romans… I don’t think we can trust her._ Luke contributed.

 

Dennis stood by the light, ready to grab it in the face of all of the emotions, but he remained silent.

 

_She’s the first doctor to approach us. She may be slippery as an eel, but she has been consistently interested in us._ Patricia stated.

 

“Care to weigh in, Dennis? You’re being quieter than usual.” Barry said aloud, too absorbed in the chaos of his mind to wonder what Casey would think if she should overhear.

 

Barry could feel Dennis’s cold glare, but he still didn’t speak.

 

_C’mon, you can’t just fuckin’ stand there and say nothing._ Jade prodded him.

 

Dennis sighed. _I think we need a doctor. We don’t do so well without direction._

_We’ve been getting along fine, thank ya._ Norma replied, but she didn’t sound so sure. _I mean, maybe we’re ready to be on our own?_

“We’ve got Casey; things are different than the last time we were on our own.” Barry added.

 

_We can’t expect that little bird to hold us up and shoulder our burdens. That would be uncouth._ Patricia retorted immediately, and several around the light, including Dennis, nodded in agreement.

 

“So what do you want to do, Patricia? See that doctor? Pick a side.”

 

_Well, we do have her information…_

 

Orwell cleared his throat. _To loosely quote William Shakespeare, the tautness of her face sours ripe grapes. There is something amiss with the new doctor._

_Maybe you all just don’t trust her because she’s new._ Dennis suggested.

“Maybe you and Patricia just trust her because she wants to talk about your beloved beast.” Barry hissed.

 

Dennis and Patricia froze.

 

“Jesus, Dr. Fletcher isn’t even cold and you want to start dragging out your old horror stories!”

 

_Now, darling, the beast isn’t a horror story… He’s—_ Patricia began

 

_Stop._ Dennis interrupted her. _So what if she’s interested in what we have to say? Maybe someone can listen to us for once. Aren’t you the big supporter of sharing?_

“Last time you and Patricia started scheming! The things you were talking about--!”

 

“Last time, you wanted to TAKE ME OUT OF THE LIGHT!” Dennis roared suddenly, his usual composure shattered with betrayal and rage.

 

“You wanted to let a BEAST out! You wanted to FEED it!” Barry cried back.

 

“I WANTED TO KEEP KEVIN SAFE! YOU WANTED TO KILL ME!” Dennis’s hand swung out of its own accord, slamming into the wall. He didn’t feel the skin over the knuckles that split, or notice the smear of blood that was left behind.

 

“ _Kill_ you?! I wanted to _stop_ you – Who said anything about killing?” Barry stumbled back, horrified and guilty, trying not to give up his ground to the bigger man, cradling his wounded hand.

 

“What _exactly_ do you call being locked away from the sun, unable to move or think or breathe?! Ask Dr. Fletcher; that’s what she’s doing right now!” Dennis retorted, full of venom.

 

“You’re crazy; you know that we wouldn’t be killing you, it was just… to keep Kevin safe… you and the _things_ you’ve always wanted…” Barry faltered.

 

There was a tentative knock at the door, and it creaked open. Casey’s head appeared, her eyes wide and full of caution.

 

“Hey,” she said softly to Dennis, who stood breathing hard by the wall, “what’s going on?”

 

He didn’t answer, just stood there with his eyes clenched shut, chest heaving with each breath. One hand still cradled the other, and Casey noted the blood welling on his knuckles. Taking a deep breath of her own, swallowing the urge to run, she forced herself to walk slowly towards the rigid man.

 

“Dennis.” She breathed his name, and he turned his head slightly from her, his eyes still shut. “Here, let me see your hand.” Slowly, carefully, she reached out. When her fingers brushed his skin, he jerked, his eyes flying open.

 

Casey froze, but when Dennis didn’t move again, she continued, pulling his hand towards her so that she could examine it.

 

“I… _we_ should go.” Dennis stated, his voice flat once more, but his eyes were wounded beneath the usual layer of steel.

 

Shaking her head, Casey stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment, his arms circled her, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I want you guys to stay tonight. I don’t think you should be alone.”

 

“We’re never alone.”

 

“You know what I mean.” Casey looked up into his face, saw lines of misery that he usually didn’t let show, and knew that he and the others must be exhausted. “Let’s get this cleaned up, then maybe you should lay down for a bit before dinner.”

 

Too tired to argue, Dennis followed her mutely, watching as she cleaned and bandaged his knuckles with some first aid that was in her adjacent bathroom. Pulling him back into the bedroom, she sat him on her bed while she rummaged through her drawer, pulling out the tee and sweats from the last time they had spent the night. She laid them out carefully on the bed beside him, and then kissed his forehead. “Change and nap. Girlfriend’s orders.”

 

He nodded. “Thank you.”

 

Casey departed, but she left the door open a crack, letting him know that she was nearby if they needed her. Dennis changed and lay down on her bed, bigger and more comfortable than the one he usually inhabited beneath the zoo.

 

_Dennis?_ Barry whispered softly in his head.

 

“Yes?” He responded, the fight gone from him now.

 

_I’m sorry. This whole thing with the doctor has me all mixed up… and I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t have banned you._

 

“Thanks.” Dennis murmured, and fell into a restless sleep, dreaming that he was in a narrow box, and the only thing that he could hear was the gravelly thump of dirt being shoveled on top of it.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“So, what are you guys going to do?” Casey asked Barry, who had been the one to come downstairs after the nap. He still looked tired; she guessed that Kevin’s body was nearly out of steam. They had finished dinner (she had, at least; Barry had largely poked at his plate, barely eating half of it).

 

Barry leaned forward, cradling his head in his hands. “I don’t know, babygirl. We haven’t all had an uproar like that since before Dr. Fletcher. I think Dennis is right; we do better with the direction of a therapist… but I don’t know if I trust Dr. Staple.”

 

Casey bit her lip, thinking hard. “She’s… weird. Cold.”

 

He nodded. “Yeah. Something about her is off. But… but she’s familiar with our case. With _us_ , and she actually believes that we are different people; that’s a huge leap on most of the doctors around here.”

 

“So…”

 

“So… I think we’re going to sleep on it. We’re beat, doll.” He stood, and leaned across the table to kiss her. “Now, can I put in a boyfriend request for some mindless movie and snuggling on the couch before bed? It’s been… it’s been a really long day.” His voice broke slightly as he spoke this last, and her heart went out to him.

 

She stood, took his hand, and led him to the couch, where they curled up around each other and tried to relax.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Hello?”

 

“Yeah, hi, Dr. Staple?” Barry said into the phone.

 

“Yes, how may I help you?” Dr. Staple’s manicured voice filled his ear.

 

“It’s Barry… from the Kevin Crumb case. We want to make an appointment.” He sounded hesitant, and as he sat at Casey’s table, the early morning light just beginning to filter in, he hoped he was doing the right thing.

 

Outside, the day showed every sign of being as beautiful as the last.

 

 

 

 


	13. Raven Hill Memorial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, All! Just popping by to say that I spent last weekend in Philly visiting friends, and it was neat to see some of the areas from the movies up close. I got to fangirl a bit (and my dear accommodating friends put up with it). Thanks, as always, for your patience, and for checking out the story!

Chapter 13: Raven Hill Memorial

 

Barry was still sitting at the table, watching the morning sun crawl across Casey’s kitchen floor as the time passed. In his head, the others were muttering, some in agreement with his action, some against. The coffee in his hand grew cold, forgotten as he gazed blankly into space. At last, he heard the sounds of stirring from the next level of the house.

 

“How long have you been up?” Casey muttered at him, her hair standing out in all directions as she shuffled for the coffee pot.

 

“For a while, Caseybear.”

 

It was as if a bomb had gone off.

 

Casey jumped and stared at him, wide eyed. Her chest heaved with each breath, and he could hear her labored breaths whistling in her throat beneath her suddenly too pale face. She had taken an automatic half-step back _away_ from him, and both hands had clenched into fists. “Wh… _what did you call me_?” she hissed, eyes dark and roaming his face in a way that he had never experienced from her.

 

He held his hands up in a calming gesture. “I just called you Caseybea--”

 

“Don’t _ever_ call me that!” She yelped, her voice trembling. “Just… just never. No.”

 

Barry stood and approached her slowly. “I’m sorry, doll. It was just a stupid name.” He touched her shoulder gently, and Casey nearly jumped out of her skin. He was alarmed to find that there were tears pooling in her large eyes, and a blush of shame had begun to color her cheeks. “Casey, I swear, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

She had begun to shiver slightly, and now she wrapped her arms around herself, each hand cupping the opposite arm’s elbow as she retreated into herself. Her long hair fell forward, covering her face in a protective curtain from the outside world. For a moment, she was that girl from high school again; the one who never met anyone’s eyes without defiance and pain.

 

_“Caaaaaseybear…” her uncle was calling in a sing-song voice that was muddled with alcohol. He was coming up the stairs. The doorknob turned as he entered the room in a nearly visible haze of beer. His gruff hand groped along the edge of her comforter, and still she didn’t move, hoping he would just be quick and leave; she had a test in the morning. His meaty hand closed on her shoulder, painfully tight. “Caseybear!”_

Tears spilled onto her cheeks as Barry watched helplessly. “Casey?” he intoned softly, reaching for her again. This time, she didn’t flinch, and he pulled her into his arms. She buried her head into his chest as the shudders wracked her thin frame. “Casey, what is it?”

 

After an eternity, she forced herself to look at him. “I’m sorry.” she murmured in a voice full of misery. “It’s what… _he_ … used to call me.”

 

“Oh, baby girl, I am so sorry.” Barry cupped her face with his hands, kissing the face that was still hot from the blood that had risen to her previously pallid face. “I didn’t know.”

 

Jade suddenly snagged the light from Barry. “Great fuckin’ job, Barry.” She stepped back from Casey, regarding her with a terrible kind of pity on her face. “Way to fuck up everyone’s morning.”

 

“No, he didn’t know, it’s okay. I’m sorry that I jumped… It was just…” _just like having a ghost in the room_ was how she almost ended the statement, and gooseflesh broke out on her arms. No, she didn’t want to picture her uncle coming back in any form. “It was just a surprise.” Casey finished lamely.

 

Patricia tutted at her, smiling the small smile that only ever seemed to touch her lips and never her sharp blue eyes. “It’s okay, little duck, we’re here.” She patted Casey’s shoulder gently with one soft hand.

 

“I know… thank you. I just wasn’t expecting that.”

 

“ ‘It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the hear t and the scars of the mind.’ Aisha Mirza said that, and it has always struck me as profoundly correct.” Orwell quoted, his scholarly voice modulating in a way clearly meant to soothe.

 

Hedwig bounded forward. “It’s okay, Case, I can keep you safe, et cetera!” He gave her his biggest grin, puffing his chest out importantly.

 

“Aw, shucks, ain’t no reason to get upset; we’re all gettin’ to safety, like when the eagles took the hobbits away from Mount Doom.” Luke interjected, nodding.

 

Casey stared, touched at the amount of care each of the alters was showing. The morning was off to an interesting start. As she stood with them in her small kitchen, they continued to cycle, picking up speed, and she realized that they had been thrown back off kilter. A feeling of guilt wormed into her gut; _why_ did she have to react like that? It was just Barry being Barry!

 

“Guys, guys let’s calm d--” Barry began.

 

“Now, it’s all fine, we can rela--” was as far as Patricia got before she was also bumped from the light.

 

Jade looked at Casey, her wide blue eyes lacking their usual defiance, filled instead with alarm and something that looked dangerously close to fear. “Ah, fuck, we can’t st--”

 

“Caseeeey! I wanna stay an’ play a ga--”

 

“This is worse than that movie ‘Wanted’, where the bullets’ paths bend and--”

 

“As in 1776, we must rise up together to be a unified--”

 

“Doves, calm--”

 

“Casey, I’m sor--”

 

“Fuck fuckity fuck f--”

 

“Et ceter--”

 

“In 1562--”

 

“Ay, mi madre!”

 

“Lass es aufhӧren!”

 

“Help!”

 

“DENNIS!” Casey yelled, grabbing the face of the man standing before her in both hands, wishing that she could hold onto his brain, hold his thoughts until they could become coherent again. The body beneath her hands was quaking as each personality blinked in and out of the light; no one was able to stand long enough to finish a sentence.  “Dennis! Please!” she cried loudly, hoping he could hear her over the obvious chaos happening inside.

 

Finally, Dennis shouldered forward, grasping the light and pushing the others back. His body squared itself into his usual posture, and he gazed evenly at Casey. His chest heaved for a second before he exerted his considerable control over their racing pulse, forcing himself into a semblance of calm.  “Barry called the new doctor this morning. We’re gonna go in and talk to her.”

 

“Are you sure?” Casey asked, still alarmed from how quickly order had broken down for everyone in Kevin’s body.

 

He nodded grimly. “We need direction. We’re not great on our own… as you can see. We’re all struggling.”

 

Casey stepped back into his arms, and he leaned his forehead against hers in a familiar gesture of affection.

 

“Barry feels terrible.” Dennis stated flatly. “About… earlier.”

 

Blood rushed back to her cheeks to bloom in roses of shame. “I overreacted.”

 

Dennis gently gripped her chin, turning her face to his. “No.” he said simply. Then he was kissing her, and everything felt a little better.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Raven Hill Memorial was an intimidating brick building that rose over the carefully manicured lawn. Everything inside was clinically sterile, which only Dennis appreciated. He had gotten them inside, filled out the chart handed to him by a gum chewing nurse who hadn’t even looked up as he had given their name – Kevin Crumb – and now he handed the light back to Barry, at Barry’s insistence.

 

_You know that she is going to want to talk to me._ He stated from his chair.

 

“I made the appointment; I’m the first person she’s going to talk to.” Barry muttered in response, trying not to look like he should be a resident of this asylum as he did so. He pulled his sketchbook out, and focused on making concise lines, losing himself in the work. Beneath his practiced hand, an overcoat fit for a runway model formed into existence.

 

Eventually, their name was called, and a tall, bearded orderly bearing the nametag “Daryl” arrived to escort them to Dr. Staple’s office. Barry tried to ignore Jade, who was pulling at the light as she eyeballed the man appreciatively.  

 

Daryl escorted them through well lit but decidedly barren halls, through a layer of security grating that he had to swipe his badge to get them through, and further into the belly of the building. As he walked, he chatted amiably, noting that the shorter man seemed very fit. “My man, it looks like you’ve been taking care of yourself, but you do look a little tired. You should try some wheatgrass. I mean, not only is it high in nutrients and antioxidants, it also can help to alleviate inflammation, and if you’re more comfortable, you’ll sleep better.”

 

_My god, does he ever shut up?_ Ian asked, smirking.

 

_Shut the fuck up, Ian._ Jade snapped, still enamored.

 

Barry flashed his charming smile at the orderly, glad for the distraction from the stress and misery that had been blanketing their recent lives. Daryl took this smile as encouragement, and continued talking, now discussing the benefits of adding Echinacea to one’s diet.

 

Orwell sighed from his chair. _I see, now, why the rest of you encourage me to occasionally curtail my ruminations on how the past relates to the present…_

At this, Barry quickly turned his snort of amusement into a small cough, trying not to offend Daryl. He seemed like a nice enough guy.

 

Several dietary lessons later, Daryl hung his head into an open doorway, tapping on the outside wall politely. “Doc Staple? Got your appointment, Mister, ah,” he glanced quickly at his clipboard, “Crumb.”

 

“Thank you, please send him in.” her voice drifted into the hall.

 

Daryl turned around, flashing a smile to Barry. “Alright, my man, I’ll check you later. Seriously, consider that juniper. It’ll change your life. Later, dude.”

 

Barry stepped into the large, book lined office of Dr. Ellie Staple. He motioned with one thumb towards the direction that Daryl had departed. “He seems nice.”

 

Dr. Staple smiled tightly. “He tries. Welcome. Please, sit. Am I speaking with Barry?”

 

Plopping into one of the stiff wooden chairs on the opposing side of her desk, Barry winked at her. “Right in one, doc. Here we are. So, what’s the plan?”

 

She leaned forward to rest on her elbows, her fingers steepled in front of her face, her eyes wide and alert over the tips. “What would _you_ like to get from these sessions, Barry?”

 

He sighed, frowning slightly; it was an unusual expression on his usually positive face. His features fell for a moment before Barry answered in an exhausted voice that was barely above a whisper. “I’d like to get back to normal. I _need_ us to get back to normal.”

 

The doctor nodded, her eyes locked onto his, and there was a flicker of triumph in her eyes. “But Barry, you’ve never been ‘normal’.”

 

Recoiling slightly at this, Barry furrowed his brow in a nearly Dennis-like expression. “We have our own normal, Doctor. We were working together, and that’s where I want us to get back to.”

 

“Wouldn’t it just be nicer, wouldn’t it be _easier_ if you could just… be normal?” She questioned.

 

“I guess that I don’t understand the question. You… you know that we can’t be normal. There’s too many of us inside here.” He tapped his head gently, trying to make light of the situation.

 

“It’s not a trick question; it’s a simple one. Yes or no, wouldn’t your life be easier if you were ‘normal’, not battling for the light, not trying to co-exist with twenty-three other personalities, easier  if you weren’t struggling to convince people that they should hire you because of your mental state?”

 

“Twenty-two other personalities.” Barry corrected immediately, a knee-jerk reaction. “Of course it would be easier, but that’s not for us. We’re not going to take any prescriptions, doc. That route just made us into one big blob of stupid.”

 

“No medications required.” She replied. Her eyes, so serious, so _cold_ , seemed to be boring into his own. It was like trying to stare down a bird of prey.

 

“Just… just tell me what you want to do. I don’t have the energy to guess. I’m too tired.” His body seemed to sag a little as he said this, broadcasting the lassitude within.

 

Now her lips formed that tight smile, the one that had continuously failed to reach her eyes. As it had before, it once again failed to warm her features. “I have a small procedure that, if you agree to it, can solve your problems.”

 

His eyebrows shot up with incredulity. “Surgery? What, you wanna lobotomize us?”

 

“No, no; of course not. It’s not surgery, per se. It’s a use of a laser machine, but not a lobotomy. We would be able to reset the mechanism in your brain that caused all of you to split into each other; in a small dose, I’d hope to first reveal and eliminate the beast. I believe, after researching your case, that the argument of his presence is causing a further rift in your psyche, thereby exhausting the resources that you would normally be able to put into keeping Kevin’s life running smoothly.”

 

“But the beast _isn’t real_. I didn’t come here to entertain notions of the beast; I came here to help us get well.”

 

“You adamantly deny the beast; Dennis and Patricia adamantly _embrace_ the beast. There’s your rift, right there. We can fix that, and that will go a long way to fixing _you_.”

 

“And if that doesn’t work?” Barry asked, afraid that the answer was death.

 

“If it doesn’t work, no harm will come from it. It’s… more of a trick of the lights than an actual procedure. If it does work, which I think it will, you’ll see a vast life improvement. Then we can consider our next step – a larger dose of the process may be able to blend all of you back into Kevin’s mind, allowing him to exist with all of your numerous strengths as one person, in one body, with one mind.” That thin smile widened. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, let’s see what we can do about the beast, shall we?”

 

_Let me talk to her._ Dennis was giving Barry a chance to hand over the light; with the level of stress that they had been working under, he wanted to avoid just snatching the light if he could.

 

“Dennis wants to talk to you.” Barry informed the woman.

 

“Yes, I thought that he might. Please, bring him forward.”

 

The man’s body straightened into rigid edges. His arms crossed, and his eyebrow raised. “You can’t just get rid of the beast.” Dennis stated.

 

“Oh, but I think that we can, Dennis.”

 

“He’s the next step of human evolution. Some laser tricks won’t be enough to banish him.”

 

“Let that be my concern.”

 

Dennis pondered for a minute, his face remaining blank. “What would the procedure entail?” He asked finally.

 

“Well, I would want you to come back in; we wouldn’t do it today. Give me a chance to finish calibrating the machine. You would come in, I would use high frequency strobe lights to bring him forward from his dormancy, and then I would use the machine to eliminate him. You may be a little tired, but I imagine you wouldn’t even have to stay the night here.”

 

“It sounds like we’d be guinea pigs.”

 

_It sounds like bullshit._ Jade scoffed from her chair.

 

“It is an extraordinary procedure for an extraordinary client. If we can’t get him to come forward, there will be no need for the next step. But… I am confident that we will be able to get the results that I want. That _we_ want.” She stared at him, imploring him with her eyes to just say yes.

 

“We will let you know. Thank you for meeting with us.” Dennis stood and offered a hand, and she stood as well.

 

She grasped his hand firmly. “Think hard, Dennis. You all can make Kevin’s life better, and not need to see shrinks like me. He can just _live_ , if you can just let him take this chance.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Casey sat beside Barry on a bench in the sculpture garden of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After the imposing walls of Raven Hill Memorial, he had wanted the sunshine, and art always soothed him.  Casey’s small hand was clasped in his own, their fingers entwined. Both stared ahead at the oddly shaped colossal pieces of art as they talked.

 

“What if she hurts you? This… this seems wrong, Barry.” Casey murmured, casting a sideway glance at the man beside her.

 

Barry sighed. “The way she says it, no harm, no foul. Nothing’s gonna happen, babydoll. There’s no beast, and when she can’t get him forward, she’ll give up, and maybe refer us to another psychologist. Or maybe she’ll just switch to talking, like we’re used to.”

 

“What if there _is_ a beast?”

 

“There isn’t. But doing this will convince Dennis and Patricia once and for all, and we can _finally_ move past it.” He stretched, reaching towards the blue sky with both arms and feeling the sun on his face for a moment before relaxing again, and slipping an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders. “To be honest, Case, it feels kinda nice to be _doing_ something. Instead of just talking. Maybe there’s something to this.”

 

Casey leaned into his embrace, tucking her head onto his shoulder, thinking. “What if there is a beast, and she gets rid of him… then she wants to keep going, and she gets rid of all of you? I… I can’t bear to lose you guys.”

 

He turned to her, his blue eyes soft and warm. He held her hands and pulled them to his lips, kissing the backs of each, then he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to her lips. “Casey, we love you. We aren’t going anywhere. If we decided to try to blend into one person, which, by the way, sounds totally nuts to me, we would be one person who loves you, instead of twenty-three people who love you.” He paused, blushing slightly, but not dropping her gaze. “I love you, Casey.”

 

Her red lips had parted in shock as he spoke, her eyes wide. She sat there, silent, until Barry ducked his head, chuckling nervously as he said, “Case, please, say something, you’re gonna give me a complex.”

 

She blinked and closed her mouth, then opened it again to whisper, “Do you mean it?”

 

Barry’s heart broke for her when he heard her small, hopeful voice. How much had she been through that it was hard to believe that someone could love her? “Yeah, Casey, I mean it. I love you. _We_ love you.”

 

She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close. “I love you too.”

 

The sun shone down on them as they kissed, and for a while, both had wide grins that they could not shake; they were happy to have each other.

 

Finally, Casey’s smile faded slightly as she said, “Barry, I don’t want you guys to get hurt. If you really, honestly think that this is best, then I’m going with you. I want to be there with you.”

 

Barry kissed her again. “We’d love it if you came for support. We’ve never had someone to give us moral support before; it’ll be a nice change. We aren’t gonna get hurt… but I think we have to give this a shot.”

 

Casey nodded. She looked slightly downcast, troubled by her thoughts, worrying for the man who had taken her heart, mended it, and now held it.

 

“Casey?”

 

“Yeah?” She asked, shaking off her worries.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

 

 

 


	14. Storm Clouds Gathering

Chapter 14: Storm Clouds Gathering

 

Dennis sat in a folding chair with his arms crossed. A frown cut deep lines into around his mouth, and he had raised an eyebrow as he coldly observed his surroundings.

 

He was in a spacious room; well-lit, airy, and it had large windows overlooking the grounds of Raven Hill Memorial. He was wearing a set of yellow pajama-like scrubs that had been provided to him by Dr. Staple, and he personally had neatly folded the clothes that they came in wearing before allowing the orderly (not Daryl, which Dennis was happy about; he didn’t feel like pretending to listen to health advice from the taller man) to bag his clothing. To his annoyance, Dennis was also barefoot. He tried not to focus on the feeling of dirt sticking to his feet.

 

The unfamiliar orderly had quietly led Dennis and Casey to this room once he was changed. She had insisted on coming, and, though he appreciated her support, he didn’t think that she would want to see this. When he had suggested, however, that she wait in the designated area near the reception desk, a line had creased her brow as she raised her chin defiantly.

 

So, Casey came with him, into this new room. She stood, hovering by his side, as he sat in the chair as instructed.

 

Dr. Staple came in, greeting everyone in her would-be pleasant tones. “Dennis, Casey. How lovely to see both of you. How are you both today?”

 

“Fine.” Dennis replied, his voice flat and unwelcoming.

 

“Fine.” Casey echoed, but her voice had an undertone of anxiety in it. “Dr. Staple? Are you sure that he will be okay?”

 

The doctor’s lips turned into her equivalent of a smile. “Oh yes, he’ll be fine.” She turned her attention to Dennis. “I assume that you’ve got the light because you’re all a little nervous. I can assure you, it will be fine. Are you sure that you want Casey in here for this?”

 

Dennis nodded curtly. “She stays.”

 

Casey put a soft hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze that he internalized, passing this bit of comfort to the others as they huddled in their mental chairs, whispering nervously.

 

Dr. Staple pulled out a notebook. “We are going to set up a camera to record the results of this part of the procedure, as well as the notes that I will take. Momentarily, a special set of strobe lights will be rolled in. Once we are all comfortable, I will start the lights flashing, which will cause all of Kevin’s personalities to begin to cycle – but this time, Dennis, you won’t be able to control the light. If you begin to adjust, we will switch up the light pattern.”

 

“How long will this go on for?” Casey asked.

 

“Well, if Dennis and the others don’t want a cap, then it will continue until either the beast emerges or they lose consciousness.” The doctor raised a hand to preemptively calm Casey, whose mouth had dropped open to release an angry protest. “I will have emergency services on standby; he would only lose consciousness for a little. Having the light swinging around like that will be an unfamiliar chaos for Kevin and everyone in his head.”

 

The younger girl turned her head to Dennis. “Are you _sure_ that this is what you want to do?” she implored him again, eyes full of doubt.

 

Dennis met her gaze evenly. “Yes. We are doing this for Kevin.” He put a strong hand to her face, guiding it to his own, and kissed her lips with a dry ardor that surprised the doctor. “We love you.” It was a whisper on his breath; a small reminder, and Casey took it to heart, wishing that they were anywhere but here.

 

When they parted, Dr. Staple cleared her throat gently. “Ah, the lights are arriving. Casey, be a dear; come over here, please.”

 

“I want to stay with Dennis.” Casey’s chin had lifted defiantly again.

 

“Go.” Dennis told her, and she looked at him with an expression close to betrayal. “We’ll be fine, Casey. You’re just going to be on the other side of the lights.”

 

“Exactly.” Dr. Staple extended a hand to Casey. Casey looked torn for a moment before caving into the pressure. She gave Dennis a quick kiss on the forehead, and then walked to join the doctor. A couple of orderlies wheeled in an impressive array of lights as she did so.

 

The white-clad orderlies plugged in the lights to massive surge protectors, and tinkered with the angles for a moment, making sure that the maximum amount of light would be hitting the stoic man seated before them.

 

“Alright, Dennis – here we go.”

 

FLASH!

 

Dennis heard Kevin’s body grunt as he was suddenly thrown from the light. Barry was forced into his place, and blinked around, confused. “Wow, Dr. Staple – I didn’t even try to grab the light. I’m just… here.”

 

Barry met Casey’s concerned gaze. “It’s okay, doll, we’re fine.”

 

“Ready?” Dr. Staple asked, not impatiently.

 

Barry nodded.

 

FLASH!

 

Patricia carefully crossed her legs at the ankles. “This may take a while, Doctor.”

 

“We’re starting slowly for now. It’ll pick up speed, don’t worry.”

 

“Ah.” Patricia looked wholly unimpressed.

 

FLASH!

 

“Well, shit – my turn! This is a fucked up version of Russian roulette, doc.” Jade rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at Casey. “How’s the show?”

 

Casey forced herself to smile, to forget the horribly blank look that Kevin’s body got for a split second before each alter was shoved forward. “Pretty boring so far, Jade.”

 

“Oh yeah, no doubt.” Jade said.

 

FLASH!

 

“Hey, Casey, I was thinkin’. If Miss Patricia said that letting you in my bedroom would get you pregnant, then why do you stay in Mr. Barry and Mr. Dennis’s room, or let them stay with you? You oughta be more careful, silly!” Hedwig scolded.

 

A blush bloomed brilliantly on Casey’s cheeks, and she avoided looking at the doctor by her side. “Thanks, Hedwig.”

 

FLASH!

 

Dennis squared his shoulders again.

 

“You’ve become accustomed to the lights?” Dr. Staple inquired.

 

“Nearly. I was able to grab the light that time.” Dennis replied.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

More lights burst like a photographer’s bulbs this time. Kevin’s body jumped as the lights burst in front of him. Casey caught a quick glimpse of Orwell’s baffled face.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

The man’s face contorted. Jade peered out for a moment, but was quickly replaced by Hedwig.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

Mary and Ian both uttered a quick swear in their lilting accents, but Norma came forward before they could ask anything.

 

“They’re beginning to truly cycle now.” Dr. Staple confided to Casey, her eyes bright.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

Polly and Goddard came forward now, switching back and forth in a confused tumble.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

Heinrich requested something in his German tongue, but this was lost to their ears.

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

FLASH!

 

FLASH! FLASH!

 

FLASH!

 

Dennis grunted again, and now the lights seemed to be shining into their broken brain. It was as if the dark memories that he had stored to protect the others from were being illuminated. Each flash of the massive bulbs was like a highlighter emphasizing the pain in his existence.

 

FLASH!

 

_Kevin’s mother was holding him face down on the floor, one of her manacle-like hands clamped around the back of his neck to minimize his squirming. She was raking the sharpened hook of a clothes hanger down his exposed back, carving her disdain into his flesh._

FLASH! FLASH!

 

_Dennis held an arm out, looking at Kevin’s mother with cold eyes. She held out the iron and pressed it cruelly against his arm, and he bit back the hiss of pain that tried to escape._

FLASH!

 

_Jade admired her outfit in the mirror, listening to the radio and dancing a little, ignoring Dennis’s protests that it was too loud. She was admiring the taught muscles of their stomach, glad to be in shape, when the door burst open, and there was Mrs. Crumb. Her eyes opened in horror and disgust, and she seized Jade by her ear length brown hair – after this, Dennis had insisted on a shaved head; one less thing to grab onto – wrenching the girl around and slamming her into a wall which she slumped against, dazed. In a flash, there was a blade in her hand, and she plunged the tip of the blade into Jade’s exposed side, cutting and screaming._

FLASH!

 

_Kevin sat in the back of the classroom, face ruddy with shame. He had been acting funny, he knew it, but he didn’t know how he’d gotten to this class. All he knew was that shame was twisting his gut as his peers laughed and stared at him, pointing out Crazy Kevin to their friends, and he wished he was dead._

FLASH! FLASH!

 

“P-please… stop.” Kevin held a hand up, trying to block the light with his shaking hands. “I don’t want to be in the light.”

 

“Kevin?” a soft voice answered.

 

He squinted. There was the girl that he had seen before… the one with the scars. The one who had been hurt, like he had. “Casey?”

 

“It’s okay, Kevin. Dennis and Barry are trying to protect you.” She sounded like she was trying not to cry.

 

The broken man shook his head. “I remember… too much.”

 

FLASH!

 

_Kevin’s mother was chasing him, and oh god, he was running, and she promised that it would be worse; that he should have just stood still and taken it, but he couldn’t this time. He was running for the door, he would be through it… but then her hand had tangled into his shirt, strong as ever, and he felt himself being dragged backwards, away from freedom._

FLASH! FLASH!

 

_The girls, they were so young, so nubile; the girls were dancing, and Dennis was watching. In his mind, Kevin had shrunk away from this high school party that Barry had dragged them to, and now Dennis was in control, unwilling to look away. He was strong – he wondered idly how much he could those girls do for him. Do_ to _him. His stomach lurched with Barry’s disgust, and he was ashamed… but not ashamed enough to look away._

FLASH!

 

_Kevin stood at the counter of a store, and the man on the other side chose not to meet his haunted eyes, instead taking the cash and counting it out. Once he was satisfied that he had the right amount, he shoved the shotgun and bullets across the counter to his silent customer._

FLASH!

 

All motion from the man in the chair stopped. He had been writhing, curling instinctually up on himself as he was bombarded from all sides. With a sharp intake of breath, he had frozen.

 

FLASH!

 

Suddenly, his body pitched forward to land on the floor. He landed on his knees, and his hands shot out to stop his fall. His fingers scrabbled at the tile, looking for a purchase and splitting several of his nails as he did so.

 

His body convulsed, and he was so tense that he seemed to be swelling, his muscles, large to begin with, suddenly standing out with definition.

 

Veins, thick and blue, raised themselves under his skin as it stretched taught over his enlarged muscles. The yellow top that had seemed so comfortably loose before was now just barely staying in one piece on his frame.

 

The sounds… the sounds were horrific. _Popping_ and _crunching_ and this wet sound, almost like lush leaves blowing in the breeze… that was the sound of a body rearranging itself as it became something more.

 

Something extraordinary.

 

The Beast raised his head, blood filling the whites of his eyes, and his pupils blown huge to devour the blue that usually dazzled there. He grinned a terrible grin, the humorless grin of a skull on a mausoleum shelf, and there was blood running in a small rivulet from one corner of his mouth; several of his gums had split to accommodate his teeth which were somehow bigger.

 

He rose, and he was taller than Dennis had been. His massive chest heaved with each breath. He reached with one brawny hand and grasped the neck of his shirt, ripping it free from his frame in a single, harsh motion. The veins crossed his body, and all of the scars that Kevin had ever received were bright and red, standing out in a way that was nearly unbearable to look at.

 

Casey’s hand had risen of its own accord to her mouth, and she stared in shock and frank wonder. When she tried, she could still see the man that she loved, but his body had shifted so drastically that it was nearly impossible for her to believe that it was the same one. She had just watched this transformation take place, and she could still barely believe that the panting, bleeding, muscular thing before her had kissed her lips so gently earlier after helping her do dishes. Dennis in one memory, and now the Beast here.

 

The Beast threw his head back and let out a triumphant roar, and the hair on the back of Casey’s neck prickled in terror. He breathed deeply, tasting the air around him as he did, and now his gruesome gaze found her tremulous eyes and held them.

 

“Rejoice,” it said, in a voice like thunder, “for you are _pure_.”

 

 

 

 


	15. The Procedure

Chapter 15: The Procedure

 

The Beast’s voice echoed throughout the huge room. A low chuckle, barely more than a half step above being a growl, rumbled out of his throat. His mirthless grin remained fixed on his mouth as he surveyed the room, eyes never leaving Casey for more than a couple of seconds; they kept sliding back to her.

 

“Dennis?” Casey croaked, forcing the word out. Her heart had stopped when the Beast had addressed her, and now it kicked back into motion, seeming to do double time to make up for lost beats. “…Barry?”

 

His grin extending further to reveal more teeth, the Beast locked his black eyes back onto hers, and he slowly shook his head without blinking. “I thank you for the time you have spent. I am here to keep Kevin _safe_.” Emphasizing the last word, his eyes flashed to Dr. Staple.

 

The doctor’s face held an expression of triumphant joy. “You _are_ real.”

 

He held his arms out in a gesture that invited the doctor to look him up and down. His shoulders squared, and he turned his powerful frame to face her, muscles coiling under the skin that seemed somehow _thicker_ than a usual human’s skin should be. “ _You_ are a danger to Kevin.”

 

Casey watched in horror as the Beast knelt down. At first, she thought absurdly that he was going to bow, but then she realized what he was doing: preparing to pounce. Dr. Staple stood watching, perhaps frozen – she wasn’t making any attempt to move, even if it was just to trigger the lights, to send him cycling with the other alters.

 

One of the orderlies, forgotten by Casey until now, moved forward. He was a big, African-American man, and his bulk hid Dr. Staple efficiently from the Beast’s line of sight.

 

The Beast pounced.

 

Though the orderly must have outweighed Kevin’s body by close to one hundred pounds, the Beast knocked the man to his back with shocking ease. Muscles rippled and flexed as the Beast leaned over his prey, his bloody lips pulled back to reveal his teeth in a snarl. His fingers dug into the orderly’s clean white shirt, first grasping, then _digging_ , and blossoms of red soon appeared around the tips as they plunged into the soft flesh below.

 

The orderly began to scream, a high, horrible sound that cut through the air. He was slapping and punching at the beast, but his blows had no effect.

 

“N-no!” Casey cried out, and ran forward.

 

The Beast stood at once, seeming to tower above her even though she _knew_ that he couldn’t possibly be that much taller than Dennis. His presence was massive, unyielding, and threatening. She stood before him, feeling small as he surveyed her.

 

“Move.” His voice commanded her.

 

She bit her lip for a minute, and then she threw herself at him, slipping her arms around his waist and putting her face against his chest, where she could hear his thrumming heartbeat. He was so _hot_ ; hot to the touch, burning up as if with fever. He was so solid, a brick wall that stood heaving huge breaths as she clung to him.

 

“Release me!” his voice boomed out again, but he was shaking slightly now.

 

“Dennis!” She called. “Dennis, _please_!”

 

Now Casey could hear the smile in the Beast’s voice. “Dennis cannot come to the light, little one. _Release me._ ”

 

Casey’s mind raced, and a memory cut its way through her fear.

 

_Dr. Fletcher had brought Hedwig to the aquarium; visits like these were far and few between lately, but Hedwig was excited. Casey had been seeing Barry for a few months, and Dennis had just been introduced to their equation. Though she had seen a lot of Hedwig, she didn’t mind him coming to visit her at work._

_Hedwig had bounded ahead, and now Dr. Fletcher place d a gentle hand on Casey’s arm. “Casey, may I have a word with you?”_

_Casey had nodded, worried that the white haired woman would begin to try to warn her away from the first relationship that she had ever enjoyed._

_“I know that you must be happy with Barry… I can see the fondness on your face when you look at Hedwig too, so I’m glad that things are… going well.” The doctor paused, smiling a genuine smile for a moment, but it faded. “Casey… if anything ever goes wrong, if you find yourself in a situation with Dennis or any of the others where you aren’t entirely comfortable; if things are going very wrong, there is a way to get the situation back under control.”_

_Nonplussed, the young woman had regarded the older woman with wary eyes. She had been shown an unexpected amount of affection and happiness since agreeing to meet Barry for dinner; it was hard to imagine a situation that would be out of control. Dennis had been a stoic gentleman to her, and the rest of the alters had eagerly accepted her presence. “What do you mean, ‘wrong’? Do you think that Barry or Dennis would… would try to hurt me?”_

_Dr. Fletcher’s lips had pursed together in an expression of distaste. “I don’t think that they would purposely make you uncomfortable, but Kevin’s disorder is unpredictable, Casey. I want you to be prepared in any situation. If you ever need to change which alter that you are with… say Kevin’s entire name: Kevin Wendell Crumb. He will come to the light, albeit reluctantly. It will send the others in his head scattering, and will give you a chance to regain control of any situation. Repeat it, please. Kevin Wendell Crumb.”_

_Obediently committing the name to memory, hoping she wouldn’t need it but unable to reject an offer of help, Casey quietly repeated the doctor. “Kevin Wendell Crumb.”_

She could still hear Doctor Fletcher’s voice echoing through her memories as she murmured, “Kevin Wendell Crumb.”

 

The furnace-like body that she was wrapped around suddenly stiffened. “Release me!” the Beast growled, his voice flooding with rage.

 

“Kevin Wendell Crumb! I need to speak with KEVIN WENDELL CRUMB!” Casey cried, holding fast to him. “Please, Kevin Wendell Crumb! _Kevin Wendell Crumb!_ ”

 

His body slumped suddenly, like a marionette that had its strings cut. The arms that just a moment ago had been made of coiled muscle suddenly were just the arms of a man, and those arms held  Casey lightly against a heaving chest. Kevin allowed himself to rest his cheek on top of her head, his eyes scrunched shut, blocking out the world.

 

In his head, chaos reigned.

 

_I told you that this would be a total cock up!_ Jade was yelling.

 

_He_ is _real! He is glorious!_ Patricia crowed fervently.

 

There was no response from Dennis or Barry – they were wrestling the Beast into a chair. Dennis grabbed Barry’s theoretical shoulder, shoving him towards the light. _Go to Casey. I can hold him._

 

Barry doubted that Dennis could hold the hulking monster for long, but he obeyed, running to grab the light before Kevin collapsed.

 

“C-Casey… Barry is coming.” Kevin whispered into her hair.

 

His arms tightened around her, and a hand rose up to her face to stroke it lightly with familiar hands. “Babygirl.” Barry breathed, and his lips fell to hers as soon as she turned to face him. “Case, I had no idea… no idea that _he_ was in here with me.” Tears welled in Barry’s eyes.

 

“Oh, Barry.” Her voice was full of grief for the man who had managed to stay positive despite the many hurtles that life had thrown at him. Casey’s fear had metastasized into a leaden ball in her stomach; having Barry back in her arms had focused the fear. How long could he stay in charge? “What’s going to happen now? Are you guys all okay?”

 

Shaking his head side to side, Barry’s body quivered beneath her grasp. “I don’t know, Babydoll. I don’t know how to put him back in his box, and now Dennis is trying to keep him down.”

 

A throat cleared curtly behind them. “Ahem.” Dr. Staple’s voice, sounding smug, rang out. “That was part one. I can help you to remove the Beast now. If you would kindly step back, Casey, then we can get Barry to the next step.”

 

“No!” Casey yelped, clinging to Barry.

 

_Yes._ Dennis grunted, still wrestling the Beast.

 

“Yes.” Barry echoed. “We have to get it _out_.” He looked down at Casey, his blue eyes overflowing with frightened tears. “We can’t have that in us.”

 

An orderly had stepped up with stealthy ease and now placed a hand on Casey’s arm. “C’mon, miss, over here.” When Casey resisted, he tugged gently.

 

“Barry… look what’s happened already. You can’t be serious!” Her brown eyes glued themselves to his.

 

Barry hung his head. “I have to get it out.” He repeated to his feet.

 

Another burly orderly stepped up to Barry, placing a firm arm on his shoulder. He sent another glance to Casey before addressing Dr. Staple. “What about Casey?” he asked as he felt himself being ushered firmly towards a door opposite of the one that they had entered through before this nightmare had begun.

 

“She will be waiting for you in the waiting area.” Dr. Staple replied. “Come now, Barry; she’s already seen enough. Let’s not worry her any further.”

 

The orderly that the Beast had injured was being tended to by another nameless man. “I’m sorry!” Barry called to the downed man, and now the tears ran down his cheeks. He blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision and keep attention on his surroundings. Dimly, Barry was aware that Casey’s voice had raised, and she was arguing with the orderly who was now half-dragging her by one arm out of the room.

 

“I want to stay with him! Let me go!” she demanded, and within his head, Dennis winced, wanting to protect her. The Beast lashed out, and Dennis nearly lost his struggle.

 

Barry was taken through a solid door that closed with a final _clack_ as it slammed, cutting off Casey’s cries. Dr. Staple kept pace before him, leading the man and his escort to another room.

 

This new, small room was dimly lit, and a panel of blinking lights was attached to a large and complicated looking metal contraption. The device was taller than Barry, and it took up nearly half of the room, making the space a claustrophobic’s nightmare. Barry’s bewildered mind couldn’t make heads or tails of what it was seeing; it looked like a giant robotic arm, like something from “Iron Man”, one of Hedwig’s favorite movies. Instead of a hand at the end of the arm, there were several concurrent ovals that ended in a tip. The tip glowed a cold, bright blue.

 

“Stand there, please.” Dr. Staple gestured to a spot on the ground in front of the device that had been marked with two strips of duct tape that formed an X.

 

Swallowing hard, Barry stood on it.

 

“Now, I am going to count to three. On three, allow the Beast to come forward.” She instructed. She plinked at several keys, the sound nearly as loud as Barry’s racing heart. “Ready?”

 

Tense and shaking uncontrollably, tasting blood in his mouth, Barry nodded, for once unable to speak.

 

“One.” A low hum now filled the room, and the device moved jerkily, rising to point at the nervous man’s sweat drenched forehead.

 

“Two.” The light at the tip glowed bright, and Barry couldn’t see anything but the light.

 

“Three!”

 

Dennis grabbed the Beast and threw him towards the light, but it was bigger than he was. Stronger than he was.

 

The Beast twisted in his grasp, and long fingers dug into Dennis’s shoulders. He caught a glimpse of long teeth revealed in a humorless smile of triumph, and then his entire world went white-blue.

 

There was only the light for what felt like an eternity.

 

The light blocked out thoughts, sounds, and feelings. It filled Dennis with nothing.

 

Then… it was gone. Darkness remained, and Dennis slowly realized that he was on the floor, his eyes clenched shut. He didn’t remember falling to the undoubtedly dirty ground, but the tiles were cold and unrelenting under his clenched jaw.

 

“…ah…well, _this_ is interesting.” Dr. Staple said, sounded disappointed and amused.

 

“Wh…what? What did you do? _What did you do?!_ ” a horribly familiar voice implored.

 

Dennis’s eyes shot open, and he pushed himself onto his knees with a groan. His entire head felt like a rotten tooth, throbbing with each beat of his heart. His eyes took a moment to focus; everything was swimming sickeningly.

 

There were bare feet before him, attached to legs clad in yellow pajama-like scrubs. Dennis’s cool eyes traced the figure upwards, and he felt his world wobble on its axis.

 

Before him stood Barry, looking at him with the face that they had shared, but now it was twisted with fear and horror.

 

Looking at his hands, Dennis realized that he was naked, kneeling on the floor… but that somehow wasn’t the worst.

 

The worst was that he was _alone_. There was no one in his head but himself.

 

Dennis was his own man, in his own body.

 

Dr. Staple hadn’t removed the beast – _she had removed Dennis._

 

 


	16. Alone

Chapter 16: Alone

 

Dennis reeled.

 

 Internally.

 

Externally, he froze, still in a kneeling position, though now he placed a hand to strategically hide his nakedness, and his jaw set as he appeared to calmly assess the situation.

 

Inside is head, he was calling for the others, but there were no replies. He tried to turn himself inward, but there were no chairs; no light. Dennis observed the _memory_ of these things, but could not release the light at walk away.

 

Hands fell on his shoulders, and now Barry was screaming into his face. “Dennis?! _Dennis?!_ ” his voice was high and full of panic. Dennis blinked at him in response, looking into the face that he had shaved so carefully this morning, leaning over Casey’s sink to cast a critical eye into the mirror against any missed stubble.

 

Dennis raised his hands to his own face, exploring the unfamiliar territory. His face felt almost right. It was the face that he had inside their heads, not the face that was unchanging on the body that they shared. He could feel the slightly more prominent bone structure – his face had always been a little thinner than Kevin’s. Some of the nearly cherubic roundness to their cheeks had never been on Dennis; there was nothing cherubic about him. He had been hardened and hollowed by a hard life.

 

“Dennis, are you okay? You… How… _Dennis!”_ Barry was giving shaking him a little.

 

Dropping his eyes to his torso, he saw that his body was leaner than the one he was used to, but still covered in scars.

 

He could never get away from those scars.

 

Dr. Staple stepped forward, and Dennis rose to his feet –too quickly. His eyes fluttered briefly as a wave of nausea rolled over him, and he nearly staggered, but Barry was there, clinging to Dennis’s upper arms with the panicky tightness of a poor swimmer clinging to a life guard. Dennis was dimly aware that he was taller now – where Barry stood 5’ 9”, Dennis now had several inches on him.

 

Forcing himself to breathe, Dennis met the doctor’s eyes. “You were supposed to remove the Beast.” he stated in a deep voice.

 

The doctor didn’t bat an eye. “It is an experimental procedure. At least now we know that it works – for a broad definition of ‘works’. Let’s find you some clothes and give you a quick physical.” She nodded to one of the orderlies, who exited the room, presumably to find clothes.

 

“Put me back. The others – they need me.”

 

She tutted at him. “It doesn’t work like that, I’m afraid.”

 

“ _What?!_ You can’t reverse it? But… But you pulled out the wrong guy!” Barry sputtered. “You took out _Dennis_ and you left that _thing_ in here!”

 

Dennis turned his attention from the doctor back to Barry. “Where is the Beast?”

 

Barry shook his head – their head until recently – and bit his lip. “Not in his chair… he’s somewhere in back, lurking. I can’t find him.”

 

His face suddenly relaxed, the worry wiped away. His mouth set into a small smile, and the blue eyes became sharp. “Did you see him, Dennis? He was extraordinary.” Patricia’s voice quavered with excitement. “The others finally see that they were wrong.” She raised a hand to her chest, pulling the neck of the provided scrubs into a more modest state.

 

“He’s dangerous, Patricia.” Dennis replied, still monitoring his voice to be sure that it was calm. He was battling the effects of shock, which were trying to sink electrified hooks into his nerves.

 

The nameless orderly bustled back into the room, clothes draped over his arm. Dennis winced internally at the wrinkles working their way into the fabric, but he chose not to comment. Reaching out a powerful arm, he accepted the scrubs, and pulled them on deftly. The entire outfit hung on him oddly – long enough but too loose. The orderly had snagged him size large, but the clothes assumed that anyone tall enough for the clothes would’ve had a fuller frame. Dennis was lean and fit.

 

“Excellent. Now, let’s see what’s what.” Dr. Staple motioned for them to follow her out of the room with the device and into another. After a moment’s hesitation, Dennis and Patricia followed her. The next room was an exam room, complete with an examination bench for a patient to sit on, a balance-beam scale, and an eye chart. “We should record the differences.” The woman explained.

 

Dennis stepped onto the scale and allowed himself to be measured. He didn’t react when he was informed that he now stood 6’ 3”, towering above his former self, and weighed 183 pounds, about the same weight as Kevin, though with his height he appeared much thinner. His myopia was still present, but the glasses that he had worn through Kevin’s adult life no longer fit him correctly. He made do, but they were tight on his temples. Though his face felt more chiseled, his entire structure was larger. A few taps with a rubber mallet revealed that his reflexes were excellent.

 

There was a mirror in the room, and the taller man avoided looking into it until Dr. Staple had finished with the basic tests. As she focused on her clipboard, furiously scribbling notes, Dennis cautiously approached the mirror.

 

He had the similarity of a brother to his previous body – his eyes were still wide and blue, but they were sharp, not warm like Barry’s. His dark hair was cropped close to his skull as it had always been. There were small frown lines pulling the edges of his mouth down, even when he wasn’t actively frowning. There were also creases gently cut into his forehead, as if he had spent years looking at something with mild disdain. He turned, pulling his shirt up slightly, examining his torso and back, where muscles stood out sharply under his marred skin.

 

“Alright, thank you, Dennis. Are you in any pain?” Dr. Staple asked without looking up, her pen poised over the clipboard.

 

“No. I was dizzy, but that has passed. Doctor, what’s our next step?” He turned away from the unfamiliar reflection to face the woman.

 

“Hmm…” She considered for a moment, still not meeting his intense stare, instead adding more notes to the paper. “You may go. I’ll keep Barry here for observation, and then we can take another crack at removing the beast next week.”

 

“He comes with me. Or I stay.” Dennis informed her.

 

“No – I’m going to admit him. You are done here for the day. Visiting hours end at four o’clock.”

 

Dennis took two long strides and was next to her, leaning down into her face. “You broke us, and you _will_ fix us. I. Am. Not. Leaving.”

 

Now her eyes rose to meet his, and hers were cold and stony. “We are done here for the day, Dennis. You will be leaving. I have no further use for you at this time. Would you like to walk out on your own power, or shall I have you dragged past Casey on your way out?”

 

_Casey._

“How can you just expect me to leave?”

 

“Easily. There’s nothing more for you to do here. Kevin will be safe in these walls, and we can observe him for any lasting effects of your removal. As for you – you are your own man. Congratulations. There may be a way to reverse the procedure, but until we’ve removed the beast, for the desired result, there’s no point in…tinkering.” Her tone full of dismissal, her eyes flicked to the door. “If you _don’t_ leave on your own power, things could get… nasty. I don’t think any of you would want that.”

 

Dennis squared his shoulders, feeling the power in his muscles as he did so. Before he moved, a gentle hand landed on his upper arm. His head jerked to look at the person touching him.

 

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we, Dennis?” Patricia hummed. “Barry and I will keep Kevin safe. And with the Beast prowling, _no one_ is going to bother us.” Her lips curled into a smile. “Go with Casey for now; come back to us later. Perhaps in that time,” Patricia turned to face the doctor, her voice dropping into something sterner, “the good doctor will have figured out how to put us back as we were.”

 

Dr. Staple regarded them with coolness. “It’s a possibility.” She allowed at last.

 

His teeth grating with annoyance, Dennis turned and strode out of the room. If he could count on anything, it would have to be the Beast and Patricia. He tried not to shudder, wondering how bad things could have gotten if he was back in Patricia’s corner.

 

An orderly had been waiting outside the door, and now he fell into stride beside Dennis, leading him to the waiting room.

 

~*~*~*~

 

It had been hours, weeks, years, perhaps even decades, so why did the clock on the wall try to claim that Dennis, Barry, Kevin, and that… that thing… had only been alone for forty-five minutes? Casey checked her watch to compare it against the time displayed, groaning internally when she saw that it was accurate.

 

She was trying to read a magazine, but the words wouldn’t focus; her brain felt useless. She would turn her eyes to the paragraph, and her mind would attempt to rally, but then

 

_Kevin dropped to his knees, and his body shifted before he looked up with black eyes devoid of warmth_.

 

But then her mind would wander.

 

So Casey sat, jiggling her foot, waiting for time to pass. Every time that a door opened, her head would jerk up, looking for the familiar face that she loved. She really just wanted Barry to come sashaying out, smiling his charming smile, and for him to apologize for acting so silly; this had all been a small mistake and nothing had come of the experiment

_Blood blossomed on the orderly’s chest as the Beast bore down on him, teeth exposed in an animalistic grin of triumph; the men that she loved were nowhere to be found on that cruel face…_

 

And they could go home, to her house, to Barry’s apartment; wherever. They could just go somewhere that wasn’t this place, and they could tut at what a bad idea the whole thing had been.

 

The door opened.

 

Casey recognized the orderly, walking towards her beside a tall man. Her eyes flitted briefly to the man, then back to the orderly, but then they jerked back to the man.

 

He _looked_ like Barry, but not entirely. He was too tall, too lean, too… worn. This stranger was wearing cool blue scrubs that matched his icy eyes, which were watching her intently from behind glasses that were just like Dennis’s.

 

She stood slowly, a hand rising to her mouth.

 

The orderly and the man finished their approach, and the man crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at her, a small frown on his mouth. “Casey.” He rumbled in a soft, deep voice.

 

Her eyes felt like they were bulging from their sockets as she surveyed him. The mannerisms were those of Dennis, but this man couldn’t be him. Dennis lived in Kevin’s body.

 

Dennis stood, square and tall, watching the reality of what she was seeing hit her.

 

Tears welled in her eyes. “Dennis?” Casey gasped.

 

He nodded curtly. “The doctor… made an error.”

 

“B-but… You’re… where are the others?” Her eyes darted around the room, looking for the familiar face of Barry. “Is it just you? Are you okay? Are the others okay?”

 

Before he could answer, the orderly cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sorry, miss, but visiting hours are over. You guys gotta go. You can come back tomorrow, any time after ten.”

 

Dennis turned his body to loom over the overly, who shrank back from the white fire in his eyes, before turning to Casey. “We’re alright – but I’ve been given the boot. We have to go, but we _will_ be back.”

 

Casey tried to say something, but her throat suddenly had a lump in it. She couldn’t imagine how scared the others were, and now, Dennis was here, alone. She raised her head in defiance to the tears that were threatening in her eyes, bit her lip, and nodded at him.

 

“How do I know that you’re Dennis, and not just some trick, while Kevin is hidden away?” she asked suddenly, needing to be sure before she allowed herself to walk away from this madness.

 

The man leaned down to be eye-to-eye with her. His eyes were the eyes that she knew, that had peered into her heart and suspected her secrets before the others had. “You lent Hedwig an iPod the first time that you came over.” He answered in a smooth voice. “You have sixteen scars on your stomach just from cigarette burns.”

 

Eyes widening, Casey reached a hand up to touch his nearly gaunt face. Of course he would have counted her scars; his attention to detail never failed. His eyes never left hers as she traced a soft finger over his cheek. “Dennis.” she whispered softly, and he blinked in affirmation.

 

 

 


	17. Too Quiet

Chapter 17: Too Quiet

 

They were in Casey’s little sedan, buckled up, but not moving. “What do we do now?” Casey asked finally, breaking the silence. She, like Dennis, had been staring across the visitor’s parking lot. Raven Hill Memorial loomed there, indifferent to their distress.

 

No answer from Dennis.  Casey turned to look at him, to see if he had heard, but he had dropped his face into his long-fingered hands. She couldn’t help but stare at his hands now- they were the hands of a piano player; long and thin, though they also looked very strong.

 

“Dennis.” She touched his shoulder lightly, and he raised his dry, tearless face from his hands. His eyes were weary beyond exhaustion when they met hers.

 

“I can’t go home, not looking like this. I doubt my coworkers would believe it’s me…if I could think of a way to explain whatever _this_ is, and I don’t need to get the others kicked out of their apartment if a stranger is seen wandering around the hallways.” This was all recited mechanically, without emotion. Dennis was on an emotional lockdown.

 

Casey nodded, wincing internally at the lack of _anything_ in his voice, and then she put the car in gear. “We’ll go to my place, then. No problem.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

Once they had made it inside, Casey bustled into the kitchen, needing a glass of water – something cool to bring her back from the shock that was threatening to take hold. She had Dennis here, _just_ Dennis, and the rest of him had been left back in that horrible place. It was a lot to take in.

 

Dennis stepped into the kitchen… then stumbled slightly. He swayed on his feet for a moment, before his knees buckled and he went to the floor in a fluid motion that was almost graceful.

 

“Dennis!” Casey yelped, and was at his side, pulling his head onto her lap. His powerful shoulders heaved with each breath, and his eyes moved behind his eyelids in small jerking motions. “Dennis, wake up!” She looked around the kitchen hopelessly, looking for something to help, but a warm hand pressed against her cheek, immediately bringing her attention back to the fallen man.

 

They looked at each other for a long moment, their eyes locked. His hand, so familiar and yet so foreign, remained a gentle weight on her cheek, and his eyes, blue wells that seemed to go into his soul, were warm. Finally, Dennis blinked, breaking the spell, and his eyes regained their steely background.  Dennis sighed, tried to sit up, and emitted a small groan as he struggled. Casey got under one of his arms and helped to steady him as he finally rose.

 

Casey clung to his side, helping him up the stairs to her bed. He lay down, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. She pulled a blanket up over him and pressed a quick kiss to his brow (which remained furrowed, even in sleep) before leaving him to whatever dreams would come for him.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Standing before her front door, Casey fumbled for her keys, a couple shopping bags dangling precariously in her grasp. She considered knocking or ringing the doorbell, but there was something in the idea of ringing her own doorbell that made her feel a little silly, and besides, Dennis might have been sleeping. He certainly had looked like he could use more rest. So instead, she fumbled, feeling her hair stick frustratingly to her slightly sweaty brow.

 

She had anxiously waited for him to wake up after his earlier collapse. He had only remained asleep for an hour before sitting up with a jerking motion, looking in every direction wildly for a moment before calming himself and once more laying back rigidly, which was the Dennis version of being at ease. Casey had been stretched out on the bed beside him, trying to read, really just not wanting him to wake up and be alone; his sudden wakening had startled her, but she was glad to be there.

 

“You stayed.” He had stated in his new, slightly deeper voice.

 

Thinking back to the night that Kevin had discovered his scars, Casey had given him a small half-smile. “Why wouldn’t I have stayed?”

 

Dennis had blinked slowly, and she noted the bags under his eyes. “You should sleep more… but I want to get you some things to wear. I don’t think the stuff that you have here will fit you. What size do you think you are?”

 

He had looked at her blankly for a moment. “I… don’t know.”

 

Casey bit her lip, then she had stood and gone into her closet, digging around on the shelf. Watching her hands shuffle and rearrange the clothes and boxes resting on the shelf above the hangers, Dennis had winced, and had finally had to look away, too tired to fix the scattered items, but knowing that he would have to eventually. He _always_ had to fix things.

 

At last, she had emerged with victoriously, holding a small, pink box by the handle. The box was smaller than a shoe box, but it had images of Victorian women with parasols parading around the front. Casey opened the box to display a small, blessedly neat sewing kit – it looked barely used. Dennis’s brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at it, before his gaze rose to meet hers.

 

“I-I thought that we could measure you. I can get stuff the right size rather than guessing.” Casey had explained, blushing furiously as she pulled out a seamstress's measuring tape.

 

Dennis nodded blankly, and he had stood up, taking a steadying breath as he did so. Casey didn’t have to tell him to stand straight; he rarely relaxed into anything less than perfect posture, and this time had been no different.

 

After a quick consultation of her phone, Casey had measured Dennis, trying not to blush or think about their proximity as she did so. It was all so…weird. Pointing that out wouldn’t have helped anything, so both of them had remained silent, awkwardly avoiding discussing their thoughts in a heavy silence.

 

When she was done, all lengths recorded carefully into her phone’s notepad, Casey had packed up and prepared to leave, watching Dennis lay back down. She had approached him again, giving him another quick kiss on his forehead. His eyelids were already drooping with exhaustion, but he had given her a grateful look before allowing sleep to take him again.

 

Now she was back, with a couple pairs of black slacks, like the ones he favored whenever he held the light for long enough to make changing outfits worthwhile, and several long sleeved shirts in blues, greens, deep reds, and (of course) grays. She had even snagged him a pair of black pajama pants; she figured he could wear some of her unisex tees around the house if he felt so inclined… which was unlikely. Dennis usually preferred to stay covered.

 

Casey understood that all too well.

 

The troublesome door finally gave way, letting her into her house, and she was immediately bombarded by noise.

 

Not caring about the bags anymore, Casey dumped her purchases on the floor, and rushed inside. The first room on her left was the living room, and the television was on, displaying a news show, with the volume turned up high. A quick scan of the room revealed it to be empty, so Casey continued further into the house, and froze in the hallway outside of her kitchen.

 

Dennis sat at the kitchen table, his head in his hands.

 

He had turned on the radio that lived in the little window on to a talk show, and the volume on that device was also cranked up. Apparently that hadn’t been enough, because Dennis had brought down her laptop and the small waterproof radio from her shower. Both of these items were turned on, tuned into different shows, and the volume on each had to have been nearly maxed out.

 

The inundation of sound crashed against her ears, and Casey wondered how he could tolerate sitting in the middle of such a cacophony of words. He seemed unaffected by the volume; instead, he just sat, motionless, his elbows on the table, holding his head. He was a statue carved out of misery, kept company by the babbling, overlapping voices.

 

“Dennis?” Casey asked, but her voice was lost in the sounds. “Dennis!” she repeated, louder, and he flinched. His head rose, and his eyes were pools of misery. Casey felt her heart breaking for him, and she cautiously approached his side, tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder once she was next to him.

 

His face was torturous to behold. The muscles of his jaw flexed and jumped as he fought to regain composure, and his eyes darted around her face like a bird trapped inside a building, trying to find the sunlight. He was trembling slightly; she could feel it through the thin fabric of the scrubs from Raven Hill, which he had not changed out of.

 

“It’s so quiet.” Dennis mumbled, and one of his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Casey had a moment to revel in the quiet strength of him. “So quiet.” he said, and buried his face into her stomach.

 

There was a moment where Casey had frozen, unused to the new feel of him against her, this unfamiliar man’s body, but she thawed quickly, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. She could just make out that he was mumbling more soft words, but they were lost in the riot of sound in the kitchen. There were no tears; Dennis still seemed incapable of actually allowing a rainstorm to fall, but he had bared himself to her, a side that was tender and raw underneath his armor of scars.

 

She held him in the sunny kitchen. Dennis sat, his face pressed against her stomach, and she stood, stroking his broad and muscular back, waiting for him to regain control as he always did. It took longer than she had ever seen it; usually any small chinks in Dennis’s emotional armor were quickly soldered shut, but he seemed unable to stop the tide of emotions that hit him.

 

Finally, he pulled back from her slightly, turning his face to hers. His face was now a mask of grief, and she understood that he had been grieving the loss of the rest of himself. The loss of life as he had known it, possibly forever, had been enough to break the man down.

 

A low headache had started to thrum in the base of Casey’s skull, brought on by the blaring radios, television, and laptop. “Dennis, can I turn some of this off? Or down? Is that okay?”

 

Briefly, a look of panic flitted across his already miserable features, but he pulled himself together. “Of course.” he replied curtly, and closed the laptop with a snap. He turned off the radio on the table, and Casey turned off the radio in the window, stepping lightly away from the seated man, but returning to his side quickly. The television was in the other room, and Casey didn’t want to walk away from Dennis; not yet.

 

The man in question had resumed his previous position, holding his head in his hands. She stroked his back, and, at her touch, he dragged his gaze back to meet hers. He was much steadier now.

 

“It’s so quiet. In here.” He pointed to his forehead, and a small, wry smile twisted his lips. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. “I tried to make it better.”

 

“Oh, Dennis…” Casey sighed, feeling her heart go out to him again.

 

“I’ve never been alone with my thoughts.” Dennis mused, reaching out to take one of her hands in his own. “I’ve never…” he trailed off, looking ashamed. “I always thought that it must be so lonely, to be a _normal_ person.” He spat out the word ‘normal’ as if it was full of venom and needed to be ejected from his body before it could make him sick.

 

“It’s not so bad. Privacy is nice.” Casey offered, hoping that he would warm a little, and turn away from the dark thoughts that were clearly plaguing him.

 

He offered her another small smile, and this one _was_ a little warmer. He got to his feet. “I woke up, and the silence was… deafening. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

 

She shook her head immediately. “No, you didn’t scare me, Dennis. I just didn’t know what to think… I’m glad that I got back home quickly.” Once more biting her lip, she forced herself to continue. “I’ve never seen you so… so…”

 

“Exposed?” he finished for her. She felt the blush bloom on her features as she nodded, and now Dennis pulled her close to his chest again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I usually can let go of the light and find my chair if things get that bad… I don’t make a practice of being weak externally.”

 

“You’re not weak, Dennis!” Casey snapped at him tersely. “You helped Kevin and the others and _yourself_ survive in _one_ body for years and now you’re alone and you’re not just a quivering lump in a corner; you’re trying! You’re not weak. You’re _incredible._ ” She looked at him defiantly, daring him with her eyes to try to contradict her.

 

Dennis looked shocked, then his face composed itself back into its usual near-blankness. He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I always thought that maybe we… Kevin and the rest… were crazy. Now, I think that maybe _you’re_ crazy.” His features softened as he said this, and he put his hand on the side of her face, running the pad of his thumb lightly over her rosebud lips.

 

Her eyes fluttered briefly at his touch, and he leaned forward, kissing her gently at first, then firmer as his confidence grew. Casey reached up, looping her hands behind his neck, throwing herself into the kiss, and Dennis wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning her small frame against his.

 

Everything wasn’t alright; nothing was normal, but at least they had each other as the afternoon stretched into evening. The golden sunlight danced around their embracing figures, and for a moment, just having each other was enough, and things seemed like they might be okay.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Miles away, in a cold white room, Barry lay shivering on a too-firm bed. One side of the room held the flashing lights contraption that Dr. Staple had designed, and the lights went off if he got too close to the line marked on the floor.

 

He worried about Dennis, alone with his demons for the first time.

 

He worried about Casey, who was alone, truly alone, with Dennis for the first time.

 

Most of all, he worried for himself. Being trapped in this soulless room was bad, but he could deal with it. Barry was more concerned with the monster pacing at the back of his mind.

 

The monster was getting hungry.

 

 

 

 

 


	18. Hungry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus, all.

Chapter 18: Hungry

 

The rest of the day stretched out before Casey and Dennis; long and quiet. Casey made a simple meal of spaghetti, trying not to think about when Barry and Dennis had brought Kevin out to meet her after a  similar meal. That event seemed like it had happened years ago, to someone else.

 

Dennis ate the pasta mechanically, barely registering what he was eating. He was deep in his own mind, trying not to worry about the others, but his thoughts kept turning to the Beast, like a tongue probing the gap where a tooth used to be. The Beast had emerged, violently, and  He was still at the hospital. Dennis kept his face, prematurely aged by the rough years that he had taken for Kevin, carefully still, not wanting Casey to pick up on how worried he was.

 

Casey sat across from him at the table, trying to ignore the ticking clock, pushing the food around on her plate.  She couldn’t help but study him, comparing the man before her to the one that shared a body with so many. He was so reserved, so careful to contain himself…

 

When dinner had been packed away (there were ample leftovers), and the plates had been cleaned up in a painfully familiar way (Dennis carefully washing while Casey dried; the rhythm of their past echoing here), Dennis turned to Casey. “I should sleep on the couch tonight.”

 

The thought had been on Casey’s mind – she had been wondering what they would do about sleep, trying not to think about it. As soon as he proclaimed this, however, she made up her mind in return. “No, you don’t have to. You can sleep with me.” His face had turned stony, and she smiled at him. “It wouldn’t be the first time, Dennis.”

 

“It’s not the same.”

 

“Why not? I know you, Dennis, and I love you. It’s okay.” She crossed her arms, looking up at him with defiance. “You don’t have to put yourself in time out.”

 

Dennis ran his hand over his short hair, the old gesture of agitation sending an arrow of familiar affection through her heart. “I’m… I’m not the _me_ that I am with Barry, Casey. You shouldn’t just…” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m tryin’ to be good.”

 

The younger woman stepped forward, taking his hands in her own and locking their gazes. “I trust you , Dennis.”

 

He _wanted_ to argue with her, to lay down the line that he would stay down here and she would be upstairs, tucked away from him. But… he was human. And he was alone. “Casey… I’ve done things, before, that weren’t… good. I’ve wanted to touch and pull at…women… and I… don’t want to hurt you. I don’t deserve to have you to myself… not now.”

 

Casey remembered how the other alters sometimes regarded Dennis with scorn, how the late Doctor Fletcher had warned Casey to be careful around Dennis. Now she looked at the man before her, alone, and hanging his head in shame, and she remembered how he understood her in a way that no one else ever had; how he was always there for her, from the very beginning to now.

 

A warmth coiled through her, and she was surprised to find that she wanted him. She didn’t want him to just sleep beside her; she wanted to feel his arms around her as they tried to fit their bodies together. Casey wondered if it was the stress of the day making her feel this way, but she couldn’t deny it.

 

She stepped closer to him, put her hands on his muscular chest and kissed him. His hands wrapped around her, tangling in her hair. She pulled away, taking his hand, and led him upstairs.

 

They reached her bedroom, and Dennis stopped. “Casey…” he tried again, tried to tell her that he never meant to hurt anyone, that his feelings were too intense without the outlet of Barry’s shining personality. That he didn’t deserve to be happy or to feel loved while the rest of him was left in a prison with a monster.

 

Once again, she stepped close, and kissed him, gently pushing aside his barriers with her affection. Her hands tugged at his shirt, and he let her pull it off, baring his scars.

 

Her fingers traced the marks on his flesh, sending a shiver that had nothing to do with cold through him. He ached for her touch. “What about the others?”

 

She didn’t meet his eyes, instead she continued to trace his scars with her fingertip and her eyes. “I can’t do anything to make them feel better right now. I _…_ I want to be with you, Dennis. Maybe it’s nuts, but I--”

 

He covered her mouth with her own, kissing her hungrily. His hands pulled at her shirt, needing to feel her against him, skin to skin.

 

Their lips never parted as the final layers of fabric were pulled from their bodies, freeing them. Dennis started to turn towards the clothes heaped on the floor, but Casey’s hands rose to either side of his face, holding his head in place. “Leave them.” she whispered in a sultry voice, and trailed a hand down his chest, and further down still, until she was gently grasping his length.

 

Dennis bit back a groan, and his hips stuttered in a quick thrust. There was no one at the back of his mind, trying to see what he was doing; no one to hand the light to. No one was feeling this but _him_.

 

Sinking himself inside of her felt like nothing he had ever experienced, and Dennis felt more alive than he ever had – his entire world focused on the warmth of her, and his nerve endings felt like they would explode from the over abundance of sensations.

 

As he filled her with himself, Casey had a fleeting moment of guilt, hoping that Barry would understand, but this was quickly chased away as Dennis’s pace became urgent, needing to be closer to her. A moan escaped her lips before Dennis reclaimed her mouth, their tongues dancing.

 

When they had finished and lay sweaty in each other’s arms, the sheets a tangled mess around them that Dennis would soon have to fix, Dennis whispered, “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

FLASH!

 

The lights sent the beast back to his corner of Kevin’s mind, snarling. He had been monitoring the room that they had been contained to, evaluating the possibility of escape, but had gotten too close to the line marking the edge of their “freedom” and had triggered the debilitating blockade. Barry snagged the light, and found that they were on the floor. The tattered remains of the scrub shirt that had been provided for them lay on the ground, scattered around him like autumn leaves. The Beast had flexed a little too hard in his most recent venture into the light, and had burst from the shirt like the Hulk.

 

Barry’s head throbbed, and his whole body ached. The shifting from their usual form to the exaggerated form of the Beast was starting to take its toll; he could taste blood in his mouth, making him grimace.

 

A buzzing alerted Barry to an incoming visitor moments before the door clicked open. He looked up, hoping that it would be Dennis, or Casey… or even Dr. Staple, back to fix him, but it was just the aide called Daryl. Daryl was currently regarding him with a look of mingled concern and pity, crouching just beyond the lines of Barry’s boundaries. “Hey, man, you gotta relax. Stress can take literal _years_ off of your life.”

 

“What does mentally birthing a monster do to my longevity?” Barry retorted sullenly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he struggled to his feet. His body barely wanted to respond; he felt bone weary.

 

“C’mon, bro, don’t get down. The doc’ll get you all fixed up. Until then, I’ve got a well-balanced meal for you – I made sure that we hit every level of the food pyramid. You look like a fit dude, so you should appreciate the extra vitamins that you’ll find in the baby spinach salad here…”

 

Daryl droned on, and Barry let his attention turn slightly inward, allowing his body to go on autopilot as he reached for a shirt from the provided stack and pulled it on. He could sense the Beast, back in the recesses of his mind, furious. Kevin, mercifully, seemed to be asleep, though the encounter with the lights had made him stir a bit. The rest were in their chairs, waiting to see what would happen next… Barry noted that Hedwig was sitting in Dennis’s chair, an expression of misery on his childish face.

 

“…the hardboiled eggs in the salad are also gonna give you that extra boost of protein that you need for muscle regeneration…”

 

Nodding occasionally as the words washed over him, Barry reached for his sketch pad. When he had been put here, some minor comforts had been provided, and the pad was one of them, though his pens and pencils were not included, deemed too dangerous for the Beast to have access to. Instead, he had a big box of crayons, several of which had already been broken in half by Hedwig’s clumsy grasp.

 

“Right on, dude; it’s important to work out your brain AND your body. The blueberries in the yogurt will help your concentration. Enjoy, my man.” Daryl finally concluded, pushing the tray across the line on the floor, and standing to leave.

 

“Thanks.” Barry said, sparing him half a glance. His stomach rumbled, but nothing on the tray looked interesting… what he really wanted was something

 

_Meat_

 

different from the well balanced meal arranged so colorfully on the tray. He sighed as he looked at it from where he sat on his bed, debating if it was really worth snagging. Really, nothing looked like

 

_Flesh_

 

it would hit the spot. Maybe if he just drew for a bit, his appetite would shift, and he’d be able to choke some of the food down.

 

He selected a green crayon from the box, and put it to the paper, intending to sketch out an idea for a dress that he’d had for Casey. As he called up the image of the young woman’s face, his vision blurred, and a line strayed from its course, marring the edge of the dress. He tried again, and found that he couldn’t create the sharp edges that usually came so easily.

 

Patricia tutted in the back of his mind. _You may need Dennis to get those lines straight, little dove._

 

“Yeah, right. I think that I’m capable of drawing on my own, thanks.” Barry scoffed under his breath, but the next line also refused to hold the definition that he had intended. “What the crap…”

 

_Poor thing, you really don’t understand how much you and he are tied together, do you? Despite all of your explanations to Casey…_

 

“I’m still my own person. I’m a freakin’ artist; I can _do_ this.”

 

_Can you?_ Patricia asked, sounding irritatingly sympathetic.

 

Barry threw himself into the drawing, trying to get it right on his own, but the crayon refused to obey; lines that should have been true kept rebelling. He was so engrossed in this, fighting the rising feeling of panic that was in his heart, wondering how much of him had walked out the doors with Dennis, and how much of Dennis had been left behind, that he didn’t notice the buzzing of the door. He was hunched over his sketch pad, frustration spinning out from every pore, so he didn’t notice the figure entering the room.

 

Teeth gritted, he tried for another line, and it immediately began to wander, before a firm hand fell on his own, helping to guide the line.

 

Gasping, Barry’s head snapped up, and there was Dennis, watching him with his blank face. “Oh, fuck, Dennis!” he yelped, and grabbed the taller man in an unexpected hug. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, and he blinked them back.

 

Dennis allowed himself to be hugged, and patted Barry’s back awkwardly. After a few moments had passed, he stepped back, out of the embrace, and beckoned to Casey, who had been stranding respectfully back, tears bright in her eyes.

 

“Babygirl.” Barry breathed, and she flew to his outstretched arms, trying not to think about how tired he looked, the bags under his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, and they kissed. The feel of him was so familiar that her tears broke free and fell down her cheeks, and she buried her face into his neck, not wanting to upset him in this horrible place.

 

While man and woman entwined, Dennis watched Barry, noting how the scrubs seemed to be hanging from him already – was it possible for him to have lost that much weight this quickly? Barry looked ill to Dennis; pale, with eyes that were too large, sitting above dark bags.

 

The couple broke apart, though Barry kept one of Casey’s hands enclosed in his own. He pulled his eyes from her – had she ever looked more lovely to him then now, when he had been in such a dark place? – and met Dennis’s eyes.

 

“How bad is it?” Dennis asked, his low voice carefully modulated to exclude any emotion.

 

Barry sighed. “Bad. We’re… exhausted. And hungry, but… this,” he motioned to the tray still sitting forlorn on the floor, “has nothing interesting on it. Maybe we’re sick – aren’t people supposed to be more likely to get sick in a hospital?”

 

Dennis blinked at him. The tray actually held several things that Barry usually would eat with gusto, but Barry was regarding it as if it was all just moldy bread. “You should eat.”

 

Grimacing, Barry turned his head from the tray. “The thought of any of that in my mouth makes me want to yak.”

 

“What do you want to eat? Maybe I can see if the kitchen can send something different…” Casey offered quietly, biting her lip.

 

He pulled her closer again, reveling in how warm and soft she was. “I don’t know, Case. I just don’t want any of that.” The smile that he tried to give her was heartbreaking in its emptiness. “So! What have you guys been doing? How’s life on the outside?” He asked with a forced cheerfulness that he didn’t feel at all.

 

Casey and Dennis exchanged a quick glance, and a flush bloomed on Casey’s cheeks. Barry cocked an eyebrow at her. “Ah. So, anything interesting besides _that_ happening on the outside?” His smile felt more forced.

 

“Are you okay?” Casey’s voice was soft and hesitant. Guilt punctuated the question.

 

Barry let out a laugh that was surprisingly bitter – it sounded very out of place coming from his mouth. “I’m locked in here with a monster, and you guys are having fun doing the horizontal tango. And all of this damned food makes me want to puke when I look at it. How do you think I am, Casey?”

 

Suddenly, he sat up straight, crossing his legs at the ankles. “You look well, Dennis.” Patricia informed the former alter.

 

“You don’t.” Dennis replied. “Where is… _It_?”

 

Tears shone in Casey’s eyes again. “I… Patricia, I need to tell him that I’m sorry. Can I speak to Barry again?”

 

The smile that Patricia offered was predatory. “Barry needs a break from the light, dove. He will be okay. As for your question, Dennis… _He_ is in the back, listening and waiting. His hunger is overshadowing Barry’s. You _do_ remember what He requires, don’t you, Dennis?”

 

Dennis nodded solemnly. “That can’t happen.”

 

Patricia clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Here He is, finally emerged, and you immediately deny Him. I’m disappointed in you, Dennis. What happened to belief?”

 

“There are other ways for us to be accepted. The Beast is… wrong.” Dennis forced these words out, and his stomach clenched. He didn’t drop Patricia’s stern gaze, just met it flatly, not allowing his face to betray his discomfort.

 

“What does… it… eat?” Casey asked, haltingly, her eyes darting between the two.

 

A pert smile fell across Patricia’s lips, and she opened her mouth to reply.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dr. Staple regarded the cameras with malice, watching as Casey's hands rose to her mouth while Patricia spoke to her, and Dennis stood guard nearby. A letter from the society, delivered by  a silent messenger, lay before her. It informed the doctor that her efforts were appreciated, but taking too long. The wrong personality had been removed; the threat still remained.

 

She needed to neutralize the threat soon, or she would have to eliminate everyone involved.

 

The doctor preferred to just eliminate the Beast.

 

Getting rid of all of the witnesses usually led to extra paperwork, and she abhorred the cleanup involved.

 

 


	19. Beginning to Feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is violence and gore in this chapter.

Chapter 19: Beginning to Feast

 

Joseph Dunn sat at a computer in the back storage area of the security business that his father owned, listening to the police scanners set up there, his eyes widening. “Dad!”

 

David Dunn, an ordinary looking man with an extraordinary story, came at once. He wasn’t young, but there was a quiet strength behind his mildly scruffy face – he’d been growing a short beard lately, and the mostly white hair was covering some of the frown lines that had formed. “Yeah?”

 

“Think we’ve got a live one, Dad. Listen.” Joseph leaned forward and turned one of the small devices up.

 

“—all units to Raven Hill Memorial. Multiple wounded, multiple dead. Reports of an animal attack, or an inmate breaking out. Repeat: all units to Raven Hill Memorial--”

 

His father nodded grimly, then reached for his backpack, which held the dark green poncho that the Overseer wore. “Story?”

 

Smiling smugly, Joseph replied, “Easy. We do security; we’ve even done some of the security set up for the hospital. Say we got a ping, and you’re there to check on things.”

 

The elder man clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder, then turned, and was nearly gone before he heard an added warning from his son.

 

“Mr. Glass is there, dad.”

 

David frowned, but his step never faltered.

 

He had people to save.

 

~*~*~*~

Two Hours Earlier

~*~*~*~

 

Casey looked from Patricia to Dennis, then back to Patricia again. Dennis’s face held the careful blankness that he chose when a potential outburst was coming, and that was all the confirmation that she needed. “He eats _people_?”

 

“Only the impure. The unburned, the uncut; those who haven’t suffered as we have, little duck.” Patricia told her all of this in a consolatory tone, as if it made anything better.

 

The younger woman whirled to Dennis, who nodded once. Casey’s eyes were wide with hurt. “You _believed_ in this? You wanted this?”

 

Dennis’s mouth twitched into a frown. “I used to. I was wrong. I thought he was the way to our salvation; but Dr. Fletcher helped me to see how that was wrong. And… you did, Casey.” His eyes pierced hers, and she could see the misery in them. “I wanted Dr. Staple to get rid of him. I thought that being rid of him would make our lives easier.”

 

A harsh, barking laugh tore itself from Patricia. “Oh, Dennis. Instead of being rid of the Beast, you managed to get yourself removed. Very droll. Now here we sit, waiting for him to rescue us.”

 

“Give Barry the light.” Dennis’s voice left no room for argument.

 

There was a rapid transition, but it was not Barry who came forward. Jade glared at Dennis. “Yo, fuckwad, way to dick out on us. What the actual _fuck_ are we supposed to do with Fido off of his leash?”

 

The stern alter just glared at her until she dropped his gaze, picking absently at the institutional grade blanket draped on their uncomfortably small bed. “Barry’s really weak, Dennis. It’s all cocked up in here. When are you coming back?”

 

Casey had never heard Jade use such soft tones, and knew that it was a testament to how frightened the other woman really was. Dennis remained silent,  immobile, searching for the right words, so Casey reached out and lay a gentle hand on Jade’s shoulder. Jade gave her a watery smile.

 

More color drained from the shared body’s face, and the shadows around those big blue eyes became more pronounced. Barry sat before them, shivering slightly in the harsh overhead lights.

 

Dennis stepped forward at once, crouching down to be closer to eye level with Barry. His sharp eyes noted the lines around Barry’s mouth, the bruised look of the flesh beneath his eyes, and the ragged way he was breathing. Casey pulled the top blanket from the bed and wrapped it gingerly around Barry’s shoulders.

 

“Thanks, doll.” He smiled weakly at her, and she kissed his forehead tentatively.

 

“Barry… I’m sorry.” She whispered, resisting the urge to cling to him.

 

Barry shook his head. “Don’t be. Neither of you should be, really. I’m just… so tired. I shouldn’t have lashed out.” He tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “We’re fine, doll.” his eyes turned to Dennis’s as he gestured between his two visitors. “You, you, and me are fine.”

 

Placing a steadying hand on Barry’s gently quaking shoulder, Dennis nodded at him. At the estranged alter’s touch, Barry seemed to sit up a little straighter, as if he was borrowing strength from the contact. Casey laced her fingers through his cool fingers, and reached with her other hand to Dennis, who took it lightly.

 

The three remained like that for a moment, trying to think of what to say or do next.

 

Before anyone had an idea, the door burst open, and in walked Dr. Staple, flanked by two orderlies who looked like she had snagged them from a heavyweight championship on her way to Barry’s room.

 

Dennis straightened up at once, squaring his shoulders as he turned to face the intruders. He stepped forward, releasing the hands of his friend and his lover. He put himself between the doctor and his companions.

 

Dr. Staple smiled her cool smile. “Welcome back, Dennis. How are you adjusting?”

 

“You need to fix it.” His deep voice left no room for argument, but Dr. Staple just smiled wider at him.

 

“That’s exactly what I plan to do. It’s time for the Beast to come forward.” She nodded to her henchmen, and they shouldered forward.

 

One man, a stocky man with peeling sunburn marring his pockmarked face and a marine’s flattop haircut, reached a meaty hand out and clamped it on Dennis’s forearm.

 

The other man, deeply tanned with a bowl cut, a unibrow, and no discernable neck, reached further forward, grabbing for Casey, who shied away, clinging to Barry’s arm. Barry wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders, wishing for strength, and regretted his wish. The only alter that had strength at this point was the Beast.

 

As Dennis yanked his arm out of the first man’s grasp easily, with a lithe agility that clearly surprised the man, Barry was aware that the Beast was striding towards the light. He could sense its approach in his mind, could _feel_ how the other alters shied away from Him… except for Patricia. She radiated pride and exultation as he passed her, reaching out to brush His muscular arm with her trembling fingertips.

 

Dennis threw a punch that sent Bowl Cut reeling backwards, seeing stars after Dennis’s solid fist connected with the side of his head.

 

“Dennis… He’s coming…” Barry whispered, tightening his hold on the light while knowing that it wouldn’t be enough. The exhausted alter caught a glimpse of Casey’s concerned face before he squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to concentrate on holding the light.

 

“No!” Dennis grunted to Barry, ducking a clumsy roundhouse punch thrown by Sunburn and trying to land a jab into his attacker’s side. The man moved back just in time, out of Dennis’s long and unfamiliar reach. “No, I can protect you, Casey, and Kevin. We. Don’t. Need. The. Beast.” He stepped forward, striking out again, but the man caught his arm and yanked Dennis forward, sending him off balance. Bowl Cut seemed to have recovered from his hit, and threw himself at Dennis, locking his arms around Dennis’s shoulders in a bear hug.

 

Casey jumped up, meaning to throw herself on the man clinging to Dennis, thinking that she could scratch whatever was exposed, but a strong, hot hand clamped around her wrist and pulled her back.

 

“No, child.” The Beast admonished her in his thunderous voice, his black eyes looking amused. He offered her a terrible, bloody grin before standing slowly, his vein covered chest heaving with each breath. He watched Dennis’s struggle for a moment with his head cocked to one side.

 

There was a popping sound, and then Casey was on the ground, jerking and screaming. The Beast whirled to look at her, and saw that there were two thin wires leading from two small bloody holes on her left shoulder to a taser gun held by Dr. Staple.

 

His roar of dismay made the wrestling men pause, and then he was coiling his muscles, preparing to launch himself at the woman holding the source of Casey’s pain.

 

“If you even _think_ about it, I’ll fry her into next Tuesday.”  Dr. Staple turned the taser in her hand slightly, showing a wheel on the side. “This is another _special_ piece of equipment, and I can adjust the intensity of the shock.”

 

The Beast took a lumbering step towards the deplorable woman, and her finger squeezed the trigger again. Casey writhed, and a choked moan burst from her lips. Her feet and hands tapped out a maniac’s Morse code on the plain linoleum floor.

 

“CASEY!” Dennis cried out in an anguished voice. He struggled against the man who was wrapped around him, gasping with pain and doubling over as Sunburn punched him in squarely the gut.

 

Dr. Staple released the trigger, and Casey stilled. “Everyone stop. The Beast is going to come with us, _willingly_ , now, isn’t that right?” When the monster didn’t immediately respond, her taser rose in the air again.

 

“Yes.” The Beast spat at her. His black eyes held hers. “This will not end well for you.”

 

“You are not wanted, or needed, and you have no place in this world, Beast. I am doing my _job_. I am doing what is _best_ for _Kevin_.”

 

His lips curled back from his teeth in a mirthless grin, but he offered no further response.

 

Sunburn lurched away from Dennis, and swiped a keycard over a panel on the lights. Then he opened the door to the room, and gestured harshly at the Beast to follow.

 

The Beast regarded him flatly with his soulless eyes, but turned to look at Dennis for a moment. “You shall see. My horde shall see.”

 

Dennis didn’t reply. His attention was on Casey, who was breathing in shallow gasps and shaking her head lightly on the ground, fighting towards consciousness. He couldn’t stand how small and pale she looked on the dirty ground. Bowl Cut maintained his bear-like grasp on Dennis, and Dennis could smell the man’s sweat, feel the heat of him, and knew that the man was sweating on to him… and he needed to be clean. His heart rate began to pick up again; he could almost feel the dirt burning through his newly purchased clothes… and Casey was on the floor, getting dirtier by the minute.

 

He was sure that his breath was making an audible whistle as it was forced through the tiny straw’s opening that his throat had suddenly become. His temples pounded with his pulse, and he shut his eyes, trying to regain himself. Now was _not_ the time for this.

 

Dr. Staple watched Dennis’s distress with unsympathetic eyes. While the man was distracted trying to calm himself, the doctor strode over to Casey, and yanked the contact points of the taser from the girl’s shoulder with a quick motion, and began to retract them carefully back into the gun. “Can you stand?” she asked Casey.

 

“I… I think so…” Casey’s voice was weak and unfocused.

 

“Good.” The doctor grabbed her arm and helped her into a standing position. The girl swayed for a second before steadying.

 

Casey spotted Dennis, noted how his eyes were clenched shut and his hands balled into fists, his breathing too fast, and she looked into the hated face of Dr. Staple. “He needs me. Please.”  
  


“Will either of you resist? We’re in a bit of a hurry here. If you can’t get him in motion, we will leave him behind while we join the others.”

 

Shaking her head to indicate that no, they’d be good, Casey stepped over to the men. After receiving a small nod from his boss, Bowl Cut released Dennis, who lurched forward… but Casey caught him. She cupped his face with his hands. “Dennis. The others need us. They need _you_.”

 

He cracked his eyes open, took in her worried visage, and was now able to find his inner calm. He straightened and took one of her hands, making notes that her shirt would need to be disposed of – no amount of cleaning or patching would resurrect the spots on her shoulder, but he was himself again.

 

Bowl Cut lead the way out into the hall, followed by Dennis and Casey, tailed by Dr. Staple, who had the taser leveled at Casey’s back.

 

Casey let herself glance into the patient rooms that they passed, not wanting to look at Bowl Cut. Most of the rooms held beds with barely discernable shapes nestled in the middle, but one room held a grizzled black man in a wheel chair, just sitting in the center of his room, his head resting against one shoulder, facing the door’s window. He might have been an observer to their odd parade, but it was hard to tell – he didn’t seem to be registering much. His room fell behind them quickly.

 

They entered the room with the machine, where Dennis had been born into his own self. The Beast stood squarely before the device, atop the duct-tape X that was still on the floor, his black eyes pinning Sunburn in place. He turned his head slightly at the arrival of the rest, and his face split into a terrible grin when he saw the doctor.

 

Bowl Cut, Casey, Dennis, and Dr. Staple joined Sunburn on the instrument panel side of the machine. The doctor handed the taser to Bowl Cut, and she began to type sequences into the panel. A low humming began to fill the room as the machine powered up.

 

A white-blue light began to fill the room, giving everything an ethereal feel.

 

Dr. Staple hit another button, and the light grew and bathed the Beast. For a moment, Casey saw not just his shape in the light, but the images of twenty-two others, all standing before the device.

 

There was a little boy, sitting with his arms looped around his legs, laying his head on his knees.

 

There was a woman, standing stiffly with her dark hair pulled into a severe bun at the base of her skull, a severe expression on her thin face.

 

Another woman stood with one hand on her hip, with her hair in a pixie-cut, examining her fingernails and looking like she was trying to be bored with the situation.

 

A man stood there, fit, with a face that had borne many hours of laughing and smiling in his life. His brown hair just touched the top of his ears. Casey saw that he was looking at her, and she gazed back into Barry’s true face.

 

The light’s intensity increased, and the ones standing in its glow were bleached out, erased from the room, until only two figures remained.

 

One figure, the man that Casey had come to know and love, Kevin Wendell Crumb’s body, fell to the ground.

 

The other figure loomed large and terrible.

 

The machine clicked off.

 

Standing there, the Beast’s might chest heaved as it breathed. His thick skin was blacker than the night sky, and red eyes gleamed out of his horribly humanoid face. He stretched his long arms, looking for a moment at his long, powerful fingers, twice the length of a normal human’s fingers.  Each finger ended not in a fingernail, but a hooked claw, nearly a talon.

 

Those red eyes danced with triumph, and his mouth opened into a grin full of long, sharp teeth. “Thank you, Dr. Staple. Now I can protect Kevin without implicating him.”

 

Dr. Staple, who had been standing as still as a statue, suddenly reached into her coat pocket to pull out an actual handgun, not just a taser this time. Wordlessly, she aimed it at the Beast, and pulled the trigger.

 

The bullets bounced off of him harmlessly, and his grin widened into something predatory and hungry.

 

She kept pulling the trigger until all that came out of the barrel were clicks. Nothing hurt the Beast.

 

With the fluid grace of a cat, the Beast leapt behind the machine, landing in between Sunburn and Bowl Cut. He reached out, grabbing Dr. Staple’s henchmen’s heads in each of his long-fingered hands, and squeezed. There was a sound like a watermelon dropped on pavement, a wet _crunch_ , and their skulls collapsed under the brutal strength. There was no time for them to react. One moment the Beast had been looking at them; the next, his fingers were dripping with their blood and thick grey chunks of their brains.

 

He turned to the doctor, who opened her mouth to scream. His head snapped forward with the speed of a cobra, and she was suddenly gurgling helplessly as blood poured from where her throat had been.

 

The Beast took her in his arms in a nearly gentle gesture as she collapsed to the floor, but his head ducked forward again and again as he snapped up mouthfuls of her flesh, ripping and rending as he feasted. The doctor’s eyes rolled wildly to Dennis and Casey as she coughed and sputtered, dying but not quickly.

 

“Stop! Oh god, please, stop!” Casey cried out suddenly, unable to look away from the horrific scene before her.

 

Pausing his eating, the Beast turned his head up to Casey, his mouth dripping with viscera. “She is _impure_ ; she is my rightful food. She will not harm Kevin again.” He turned back to his meal, and chomped down onto her side, tearing chunks of meat with his impossibly large and sharp teeth.

 

Dennis pulled Casey against him, burying her face into his chest. The Beast was between them and the exit, so he instead led her away from the eating creature, towards the prone shape that had once also been Dennis’s body.

 

Kevin’s body lay motionless but for the slight contracting and expanding of his chest as he breathed. “Barry?” Dennis asked, approaching the still form.

 

Casey stepped away from Dennis, dropping to her knees beside the smaller man. She sent Dennis a wild look, panic in her wide brown eyes. “Barry?” she echoed Dennis, running a small, warm hand along the side of the prone man’s face.

 

His eyelids fluttered, and brilliant blue eyes looked exhaustedly up at her. “C-Casey?”

 

“ _Kevin?_ ” Casey gasped.

 

“What’s happening? Everyone’s so… afraid. What’s going on?” He asked, his voice timid and confused, his brows furrowing.

 

She couldn’t think of how to tell him what had been happening, especially while the Beast’s wet chewing still echoed in the room. Finally, she forced out, “Something horrible.”

 

Kevin blinked, accepting this, and Barry came forward, looking weaker and more exhausted than ever. “Hey, babygirl.”

 

Casey kissed his forehead. “What are we going to do?”

 

Before Barry or Dennis could answer, the rumbling, thunderous voice of the beast answered. “You will protect Kevin. I will eliminate his threats.”

 

Dennis walked up to the Beast, who was standing over the wreckage that had once been Dr. Ellie Staple. Seeing them next to each other was bizarre, since the Beast had nearly a foot of height on Dennis, but if you really looked, you could see the similarities in the lines of their faces, in the proud way that they stood. It was the similarity of brothers, once you looked past the grotesque evolution of the Beast’s hands, arms, skin, and teeth.

 

“You can’t do any more of this.” Dennis told the Beast in a flat voice.

 

The Beast threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, my child, I have only just begun to cleanse this world of the impure and the unworthy.” He turned away from Dennis, kicked the door open, and launched himself gracefully through the nearest window in a tinkling of shattering glass, and was gone.

 

Casey was still on the ground, cradling Barry’s head in her lap, while Dennis loomed over them like a guardian angel, when the orderlies arrived. When they discovered the ruined bodies of Dr. Staple and her helpers, the screaming began.

 

 

 

 


	20. Aftermath

Chapter 20: Aftermath

 

There were questions.

 

A _lot_ of questions.

 

The police had more questions than they had answers to at this point. David Dunn had spent a frustrating hour talking in circles before he had finally been firmly dismissed from the crime scene... and what a mess _that_ had been.

 

There had been the bodies of two orderlies, but those weren't as bad as the body of the doctor. That body looked like it had been set upon by a ravenous animal; there had been an impossibly large puddle of congealing blood surrounding the corpse. David's sharp blue eyes had taken in as many details as he could before a cop had dropped a white sheet, borrowed from a nearby utility closet, over what was left of Dr. Staple. Crimson roses of blood had immediately bloomed on the fabric, marring the sheet's sterile whiteness.

 

He had managed to find out this so far: one of the patients had apparently gone mad, somehow managing to overpower the burly orderlies who were now stiffening on the floor behind the odd computer set up, and had forced the doctor, orderlies, another patient, and two visitors into this bleak little room that contained an odd computer setup. Once in here, the madman had killed the orderlies and feasted on the doctor before throwing himself out of a third story window. The patient apparently had the luck of the devil, because he had somehow _survived_ a fall from the third story. The visitors and the other patient had apparently all checked out after answering a few questions - apparently they had decided that Ravenhill Memorial was not the place for them after all.

 

"You let them go? Who were they?" the increasingly frustrated Dunn asked a nearby cop.

 

"I guess the guy was just here voluntarily for some tests or something, so yeah, they left." The cop looked Dunn up and down, brown eyes locking on the "Dunn Security" stitched into Dunn's shirt. "Now, why don't you go install a doorbell camera or whatever it is you do. Let the big kids handle this one." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the door.

 

David Dunn kept his face carefully blank as he exited the crime scene. He reasoned with himself that he'd been lucky to get that far before the cops shut him down; normally he was only able to catch up to crime after a lucky bump in the subway. It seemed like this time he was only a half step behind, not sprinting to catch up before more sins could taint his city.

 

Speaking of tainting his city with sins...

 

The path that Dunn had chosen was paved with the past; he found himself unable to look away from a door labeled "E. Price". The narrow window looked into a dimly lit room, and the grizzled Mr. Price, who had taken up the name "Mr. Glass" many years before, sat in his wheelchair, with his head slumped on one shoulder. His eyes, such a dark brown that they were nearly black, glittered out of his otherwise slack face.

 

Surely Dunn had only imagined that one of Mr. Glass's eyelids had drooped down into a wizened wink. The man was insane, and drugged beyond recognition. There was no way that he could possibly be aware that David Dunn, the super hero that Glass had spent his life looking for, was looking in at him from the hallway.

 

Dunn tore his gaze away from his old friend-turned-nemesis, and put his mind back onto the troubling murders as he put distance between himself and Glass.

 

Holding the ballpoint pen that was chained to the visitor's log, his intelligent eyes scanned the list of names on the lines above his own. There were only four names that had been signed out within half hour before Dunn's arrival at the hospital; no one else had signed in or out for hours prior.

 

_Betty Buckley, Brad Henke, Casey Cooke, Dennis Crumb._

 

He signed out, repeating the names in his brain until he was safely outside the oppressive walls of the building. Then he called his son.

 

"Hey, dad - everything okay?"

 

"Betty Buckley. Brad Henke. Casey Cooke. Dennis Crumb."

 

"...what?"

 

"Write those down before I mess them up, Joe. Betty Buckley. Brad Henke. Casey Cooke. Dennis Crumb."

 

The clicks of a keyboard came from the other end of the phone, and Joseph told his father that he had them.

 

"Good. I need you to look into them. Do that... computer thing... that you do. I want to get a meeting; see if any of them knows a little more about the escapee." David informed his son, and then told him what little he had learned.

 

Joseph tutted like an old librarian in his ear, bringing a small smile to Dunn's usually serious visage. "Doesn't quite fit together nicely, does it? If the hospital thought that they had someone that dangerous, they'd have had him in restraints. And no one came to rescue the five hostages? None of them could overpower one nutcase? Yeah, right. It just doesn't add up."

 

David was about to hang up and start driving before Joe caught him off-guard with his next question, uttered in a soft voice that instantly called forth the image of Joe as a little boy, with a fresh scrape on his face after trying to defend a classmate from a bully. "Did you see him, dad? ...Mr. Glass?"

 

Sighing, he responded with a dull, "Yeah. Nothing to report. He's a vegetable."

 

A brief pause fell over the men as they remembered the pain that Mr. Glass had caused Philadelphia, but this was brushed aside quickly. There was a new madman on the loose.

 

They said their goodbyes, broke the connection, and Dunn headed back to his security shop.

 

~*~*~*~

 

In his wheelchair, Mr. Glass allowed himself a small smile.

 

He had seen the muscular man with the jutting veins be escorted past his solitary window by an unfamiliar orderly, followed by another orderly, a young woman, an imposing man, and the new doctor. The new doctor, who had been naive enough to take him off of the medication that had previously dulled his senses in an attempt to "get to know the real Elijah", had been aiming a taser at the younger woman.

 

They had passed, hardly noticing his attentions, and shortly after screams had started. Several men in black suits had rushed passed the window, only to reappear wheeling a machine that looked like a giant diamond-cutting laser back the way they had come.

 

After that, the police had arrived... closely followed by David Dunn.

 

Things were certainly getting interesting.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Dennis had driven them back to Casey’s, obeying every state traffic law to down to the punctuation. His face was stoic and unreadable, and his eyes never seemed to leave the road. He ignored the slight tightening in his gut as Casey, seated in the backseat beside Barry, wrapped her arms around the smaller man. Barry had turned his face into the crook of her neck, her brown hair obscuring the world from his sight; a welcomed reprieve. The world had not been particularly kind to him of late.

 

Once parked, Dennis had hurried down the walkway, his long legs helping him to outdistance his passengers. He unlocked the door, and went inside. Casey had a moment to puzzle about his behavior – she had expected him to circle Kevin’s body like a hawk, but he had left Kevin in her care instead.

 

Casey helped a weak and exhausted looking Barry up to her bedroom, and saw why Dennis had hurried ahead. He had gone inside and quickly remade her bed – the room was tidy, and there was no sign of the night that they had spent together under her covers. She was relieved… the last thing that she needed now was for the already fairly beaten Barry to be reminded of what they had been up to while he had been alone and afraid.

 

She tucked him into bed. He had dropped onto the comfortable mattress, and had nearly been asleep before he hit the pillow. Laying there, moon pale with deep shadows beneath his eyes, he had looked almost like a child to her. She kissed his clammy forehead before slipping out, retreating back down the stairs to join Dennis in the kitchen.

 

Her eyes drifted over him, once again finding the similarities to the man now sleeping upstairs, and still so new and different.  His blue eyes pierced her brown ones in return.

 

The silence spun out between them, and Casey reached across the table. Dennis took her hand in his own, lending her his strength while his thoughts raced behind his furrowed brow. Thoughts of the Beast and his particular appetites.

 

It wasn’t long before there was a soft thump from upstairs as the sleeping man rose, and both Dennis and Casey looked up at the ceiling in surprise; from how exhausted Barry had looked, they had expected him to sleep for hours, possibly through until tomorrow morning.

 

There was the gentle sound of bare feet padding down the stairs and the hallway to the kitchen, and, after a moment’s hesitation, the man’s head peaked around the corner. His eyes were wide and wary, and he seemed ready to run at the slightest provocation.

 

Dennis inhaled sharply. “Kevin?”

 

Kevin jumped slightly before nodded. He attempted to offer a smile to the couple, but his nerves wouldn’t quite allow him to perform the simple act.

 

“Oh, Kevin!” Casey gasped, smiling sadly at him. “Here, have a chair.”

 

He sat down, and briefly put his head in his hands in a way that forcefully reminded Casey of finding Dennis in the kitchen surrounded by all of the sound making machines, trying to drown out the silence. Kevin’s head came back up, and he looked at each of them solemnly.

 

“How are you? Is… Are you okay?” Casey asked softly, placing a warm hand on his forearm.

 

“I don’t like to be in the light… but… with that… that _thing_ gone… I feel better than I have in a long time.” His cheeks blushed a vibrant red with shame. “What is _wrong_ with me? That _thing_ is going to kill people… and it came out of _me_! And I feel _so_ … clear… without it!”

 

Kevin’s voice cracked on the final word, and tears filled his eyes. He looked at Casey hopelessly, and she stood, wrapping her arms around him and turning his face into her stomach. His entire body shook as she held him.

 

“He’s you’re anger.” Dennis’s flat voice rang out, devoid of emotion. “The Beast is where you’ve kept your rage… and your pain. Of course you feel better with that gone.”

 

Casey’s eyes found his again. “Is that what you think happened?”

 

Dennis regarded her in his distant way, all of his walls back up. “Of course it is. We all have a purpose… mine was to be his strength. The Beast was his outlet of hurt.” Dennis forced himself not to think about what Kevin would be like without his rage or hurt… or without Dennis and his social faux pas.

 

She opened her mouth to say something, anything soothing for both of these men, when her phone began to chirp and buzz on the table. The number was unfamiliar to her as she answered, putting it up to her ear.

 

“Casey Cooke?” a man’s voice asked, though he sounded young – her age, maybe a little older.

 

“Yes?” She replied cautiously.

 

“My name is Joseph Dunn; I’m calling from Dunn security… I’ve got some questions about what happened at Ravenhill Memorial. They’re going to be a little strange, but we’ve gotta do _something_. Can we talk? Please?”

 

~*~*~*~

 

The cheerleaders hadn’t bothered to change out of their outfits yet, preferring to look and be looked at as they walked home. One split off from the group, waving goodbye and turning her attention to her cell phone, unaware of her surroundings as she let muscle memory guide her home. She didn’t have a care in the world beyond her little bubble.

 

Downwind, the Beast caught scent of his prey, and began to close in.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I can't promise that updates will be fast, but I am still here, plugging away at this story. Thank you all SO much for your interest and responses!


	21. A Little Trust

Chapter 21: A Little Trust

 

Dennis, Casey, and Patricia stood around the designated park bench. Patricia seemed lost in her thoughts, staring without focus in the direction of the distant fountain, where the water spouted and cast small rainbows across the sky. Beside her stood Casey, who kept nervously playing with her hoody's drawstrings. On the other side of Casey, Dennis stood at rigid attention. The sunlight glinted off of his glasses, hiding the ice spots of blue that were his eyes. His mouth was pulled into a deep frown, and his brow was furrowed. 

 

"Did you know," Patricia began softly, her eyes not losing their dreamy hue, "that the Peacock Mantis Shrimp can throw a punch at up to 50 miles per hour?"

 

Casey and Dennis stared at her, non-plussed.

 

She blinked slowly and brought one shoulder up in a half shrug. "I thought that was a fun fact."

 

Dennis's frown deepened. "Twelve o'clock." he muttered, his gaze cutting across the grass to pierce the two men that were walking towards them.

 

Hours ago, Casey had taken a phone call from a man named Joseph Dunn. He had asked questions about the attack with the beast, but not that many. He had managed to convince her - mostly it was the desperate quality of his voice that had lowered her defenses - that all of them should meet - Casey, Dennis, Kevin, Joseph, and his dad, David. They had picked an open area that was more neutral: the park. 

 

There was no way that Dennis or any of the others would allow Kevin to be present for the meet, but Patricia had been intrigued and had offered to hold the light, since Barry was still exhausted. Dennis had wanted nothing to do with the meet... but Casey had finally gotten him to come around by pointing out that they were at a loss for what to do next. Maybe a fresh set of eyes was what they needed to find the Beast.

 

David and Joseph Dunn walked directly up to the trio. Joseph was nearly jogging as he kept pace with his father's straight backed gate; the fast walk of a man with no desire to waste time. Joseph's face was young and earnest, a nervous smile on his face as he extended a hand to Casey once they had reached her. "Hey, thanks for meeting with us. I'm Joe, and this is my dad, David."

 

Casey shook his hand, and reached to David to shake his. His eyes met hers as his hand, rough with years of hard work, encircled hers. Like Dennis, she could feel the strength in his grasp, but he was careful not to hurt her. 

 

_Casey Cooke was standing over the chair that Uncle John sat in, sputtering and slurring as he began to choke. She watched him, knowing that he was going die, and she couldn't find it in herself to try to stop it. Her body still ached from his unwanted touches, and her heart had been slowly freezing since her father died; today, now, it seemed to have finally been replaced fully by ice. In her stomach, the faintest tendril of hope: maybe now she could live._

 

His face remained blank as he released her small hand. There had been flashes of the abuse that Uncle John had subjected the young woman standing before David to, but the clearest memory had been of her abuser's death.

 

"Hi, uhm, this is Dennis, and this is Kevin."

 

Joe enthusiastically extended a hand to Dennis, who did not uncross his arms. 

 

"I don't like to be touched." Dennis's voice was flat and unapologetic.

 

Joe raised his eyebrows and glanced at his father, but David just nodded at Dennis. 

 

Patricia extended a hand to Joe, a tight smile on her lips. "Do forgive him, little duck. We all have our... quirks."

 

"Isn't that the truth." The young man replied, smiling in an easy going way that pulled at Casey's heart. The smile reminded her of happier days, when Barry had tipped her winks and flashed her his big grin constantly.

 

When had things become so difficult?

 

David Dunn took the hand that was offered to him.

 

_Patricia and Dennis stood in the corner of Kevin's mind, facing the angry horde of the rest of the personalities. Barry was in front, trying to be the mediator, but things were spilling over. Their beliefs in the Beast were dangerous; and Patricia saw no problem with the Beast's appetites. After all, Kevin had suffered; why should he be alone? If the price of things being put to right was a few impure brats who had never known true difficulties in their charmed lives, then she was fine with it._

 

His heart was a little colder after the glimpse into Patricia's mind. Although Kevin had been put through the wringer by life, there was an elation in Patricia now that the Beast was out. A smugness in how right she had been... and a joy in the idea of things becoming more even between those who had been forced to suffer and those who had not.

 

Casey shifted uncomfortably on her feet. There was a tension around David Dunn that hadn't been there before he had shaken Patricia's hand; even Dennis's brusque manner hadn't effected the older man in the way that the pious alter had. "So... what do you guys want to know about our visit?"

 

David's eyes flicked to her briefly before going back to Patricia, who was gracing him with a smile that did not reach her big, blue eyes. Softly, David addressed the group, though his gaze did not leave her again. "Where would the Beast go, Patricia?"

 

It was as if a bomb had gone off.

 

Patricia jerked back away from the two new men as if she had been electrocuted. Dennis took an immediate step forward, putting his broad new body in between the men and Kevin's body. Casey's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes seemed about to jump from her head.

 

"How do you know about the Beast?" Dennis demanded, his voice harsh with aggression. He squared his shoulders, effectively turning himself into a wall.

 

"How do you know my _name_?" Patricia gasped, caught completely off guard for once.

 

Joseph put a hand on his father's sturdy shoulder and raised a placating hand to Dennis. "Woah, woah - let's all chill out. Dad, maybe we should ease into this?"

 

"We don't have time to dance around the issue, Joe. That thing is going to kill more people. I'm not going to let that happen."

 

Dennis shook his head. "We're not saying anything until we have an explanation. I don't like being jerked around."

 

David bit back the response that jumped to his lips - _it seems like there's a lot that you don't like_ \- and instead turned his gaze on the taller man. "It doesn't matter how I know what I know; it matters that we stop the Beast from hurting anyone else."

 

In a soothing tone, Casey replied, "That's right. We have to stop it. But we need to know that we can trust you. And you need to be able to trust us... so let's all just take a second to talk. Please?" Her eyes were huge, imploring him to listen to her. "How can you possibly know about the Beast?"

 

Exchanging a glance with his father, who sighed and nodded, Joseph's cheeks colored red, but he raised his chin proudly. The adoration in his eyes as he looked at his father was unaffected and genuine. He ran his fingers through his short hair, let out a small, nervous chuckle, and finally spoke the words that he had know to be true since his childhood.

 

"My dad's a superhero."

 

~*~*~*~

 

Fresh tracks of tears cut through the smeared wreckage of the impure girl's makeup. She was sweaty, her hair hanging in damp mats against her exposed shoulders.

 

"Why... why me?" She gasped, her voice hoarse from screaming.

 

The nightmare thing that had detached itself silently from the shadows and had grabbed her regarded her with its unfeeling eyes, just as it had when it had pulled her into this abandoned brick building. She had screamed and kicked at it, scratched until her nails had grown jagged and bent backwards painfully, but nothing could loosen its grasp. When exhaustion had started to slow her moves, she had started begging it to release her, but it had continued to pull her deeper into the building.

 

"P-please... why...?" the cheerleader asked again.

 

The Beast gave her a horrific smile, baring all of his sharp teeth. "You are the unburned, the uncut. You have never had to suffer for anything." he gave a derisive snort. "You are impure... and you are mine."

 

She thought that she didn't have the ability to scream anymore, but when the Beast's long-fingered hand pinned her shoulder to the ground so that she couldn't move, and his lips had pulled back from his dagger-like teeth, she began to scream. Her screams rose in pitch until something in her throat ruptured, and even then she tried to continue screaming.

 

Grinning horribly, the Beast was completely unaffected by her screams -  he was too hungry to be concerned by her pathetic mewling. His head snapped forward and his teeth bit easily into the flesh of her stomach, rending and tearing as he feasted.

 

Her struggles slowed and stopped as the life oozed out of her, but the Beast continued to eat the impure young. He needed to keep his strength up... and this city was ripe with options for food.

 

~*~*~*~

 

At the park, while Joseph had done his best to explain David's abilities, and Casey had gently tried to explain how Kevin's personalities had come about, and how Dennis and the Beast had been realized into their own bodies, David kept an ear listening to their surroundings. When the sounds of police sirens began to rise and fall in the distance, he felt his stomach tighten, and he grimaced. His eyes met Dennis's, and he saw his own trepidation reflected there in the ice blue depths of the other man's grim visage.

 

"I think we're too late." David murmured, turning towards the sirens.

 

Dennis's voice was flat and expressionless. "The Beast must have been very hungry."

 

"He has a lot of work to do." Patricia added, and chose to ignore the sharp glances that her sentiment earned her from everyone but Joseph, who just looked puzzled.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience in my updates - I'm sorry that this was a shorter chapter, but I hope that you enjoyed it nevertheless. Things are slowly falling back into a routine for me, and I've clawed out some time to write.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking of writing some prompt works for Split/ Glass/ Unbreakable. Email me at theseventhcleopatra@gmail.com if you have an idea that you'd like to see me write. I could use the mental exercise :)


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